Napa Cabbage
Napa Cabbage (배추, 菘菜) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a digestion-regulating food herb. Its nature is neutral (some sources: cool) and its taste sweet, associated with the Stomach, Large Intestine meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include aids digestion, clears chest heat, resolves post-alcohol thirst. Caution: The Donguibogam notes that overeating napa cabbage can bring on cold-type illness, and specifically recommends ginger to counteract it.
Overview
Napa cabbage is the essential vegetable behind Korean kimchi, and the Donguibogam already records it as the most commonly eaten vegetable of its time — noting its core action of aiding digestion and clearing chest heat, while cautioning that overeating can bring on cold-type illness (best countered with ginger).
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Aids digestion
- Clears chest heat
- Resolves post-alcohol thirst
- Benefits the intestines
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Sluggish digestion after eating
- Chest heat or fullness
- Post-drinking thirst
- Wasting-thirst pattern
Traditional preparation
Eaten fresh, cooked, or fermented as kimchi; the seed can be pressed for oil per the classical text.
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 this the same cabbage used to make kimchi?
Yes — the Donguibogam entry for 菘菜 is the same napa cabbage still used for kimchi today, already recorded as the most commonly eaten vegetable of its era.
What does the Donguibogam say if you overeat napa cabbage?
It specifically warns that overeating can bring on cold-type illness, and recommends ginger as the classical remedy to counteract it.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조