Mung Bean
Mung Bean (녹두, 菉豆) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a heat-clearing, detoxifying food herb. Its nature is cold (some sources: neutral or cool) and its taste sweet, associated with the Heart, Stomach meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include clears heat and toxicity, resolves swelling, calms rashes. Caution: A cooling food-herb; those with a cold, weak digestive constitution should moderate intake.
Overview
Mung bean is the source of sukju-namul (bean sprouts) and bindae-tteok batter familiar in Korean cooking, and the Donguibogam records its standout property clearly: clearing heat and toxicity, calming rashes and inflamed swelling — a use that lines up with its continued folk reputation as a "cooling" food.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Clears heat and toxicity
- Resolves swelling
- Calms rashes
- Relieves wasting-thirst
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Heat-toxin rashes and skin eruptions
- Vexing heat and irritability
- Swelling from heat patterns
- Reaction to certain medicines (classical use)
Traditional preparation
Eaten as sprouts, porridge, or jelly (nokdumuk).
This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.
Cautions
Frequently asked questions
Is mung bean really considered "cooling" in Korean tradition?
Yes — the Donguibogam records its nature as cold and its main action as clearing heat-toxin and calming rashes, which lines up exactly with the traditional Korean view of mung bean as a body-cooling food.
What skin-related uses does the classical text mention?
It lists erysipelas-type toxic rash, wind-rash (urticaria-like eruptions), and vexing heat among its main treatments — all heat-pattern skin and irritability conditions.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조