Pea
Pea (완두, 豌豆) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a qi-tonifying food herb. Its nature is neutral and its taste sweet, associated with the Not specified in the source text meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include benefits the middle, evens qi, harmonizes nutritive and defensive qi. Caution: The text records no toxicity.
Overview
Peas are such an everyday food that it is striking to find them in the Donguibogam, where the entry is brief: neutral and sweet, it "benefits the middle, evens the qi, and harmonizes the nutritive and defensive." The text adds that it was eaten steeped as tea or stir-fried, and notes that it was produced in Hamgyeong Province and in the royal field of the capital. The entry also says the pea is "the silkworm bean" — a naming that modern readers should treat with care.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Benefits the middle, evens qi
- Harmonizes nutritive and defensive qi
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Eaten as tea or stir-fried (Ipmun)
Traditional preparation
Steeped as tea or stir-fried, per the Ipmun.
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 the Donguibogam pea the same as the modern green pea?
Not certainly: the text equates 豌豆 with the "silkworm bean" (蚕豆), which modern botany distinguishes from the pea, so the species identification is flagged.
How was it eaten?
Per the Ipmun, steeped as tea or stir-fried.
Where was it grown?
The text names Hamgyeong Province and the royal field in the capital.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조