Guide to decocting Chinese medicinal herbs

1. Best to use claypot or earthen jar or a piece of enamelware or at least a stainless-steel pot without any traces of oils. Put medicinal herbs into the claypot, add clean and cold water until all herbs are covered with 2-3 cm above the surface and soak for 30 minutes. Make sure the water level is approximately 1cm above the surface of the herbs after soaking (press the herbs where needed).
   
2. Use low fire to brew after boiling; otherwise it may cause over-drying of the mixture which reduces the effectiveness of the medicinal properties. Count after boiling, decocting time is normally required for approximately 30-45 minutes.
   
3. However, the decoction time required may vary based on different purpose of the herbs prescribed and whether special ways of decocting are involved.
   
4. Note that herbs for “nourishing purpose” normally need to be brewed for approximately 1 hour, while herbs for “sweat inducing” should be brewed for approximately 20 minutes. Any queries should be directed to the practitioner or the dispenser before start.
   
5. When the decocting process is completed, pour the decoction into a medium-sized cup, approximately 250-300mL for adults, and half or even lesser of the quantity for children or as advised by practitioner. Take as warm.
   
6. One pack/dose of medicinal herbs may be decocted twice or three times daily as required. An option to average the strength of the different dosages is to mix up all the decoctions each time cooked and then divided into 2-3 cups (as required); take 1 cup a time after warmed up.