Watermelon
Watermelon (수박, 西瓜) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a heat-clearing, summer-relieving food herb. Its nature is cold and its taste sweet, very mild, associated with the Heart, Stomach, Bladder meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include relieves summer heat, suppresses thirst, benefits urination. Caution: A very cold-natured fruit; suited to hot-weather relief but not ideal for a cold, weak digestive constitution in excess.
Overview
Watermelon is the quintessential Korean summer fruit, and the Donguibogam records a story about its origin — that it entered the region after the Khitan people defeated the Uyghurs and obtained the seed. Its core action, suppressing vexing thirst and resolving summer heat, is exactly why it's still reached for on hot days.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Relieves summer heat
- Suppresses thirst
- Benefits urination
- Heals mouth sores
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Summer heat exhaustion and thirst
- Mouth ulcers
- Reduced urination in hot weather
Traditional preparation
Eaten fresh, chilled, in season; a related variety with long-keeping storage is separately noted in 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
Does the Donguibogam explain how watermelon reached Korea/China?
It records that the Khitan people obtained the seed after defeating the Uyghurs, growing it by covering the seed with cattle dung — an origin story for how the fruit spread.
What is watermelon best for according to the classics?
Suppressing vexing thirst and resolving summer-heat toxicity — exactly the reason it remains a go-to hot-weather fruit today — along with benefiting urination and healing mouth sores.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조