Mix-frying with brine

Stir-frying materials with a salt solution is known as brine mix-frying. Salt, being cold in nature, clears heat and cools the blood; being salty in flavor, it enters the kidney and softens hardness. It can also improve the flavor and is a preservative. Brine mix-frying is a common method of processing medicinals that supplement the kidney, secure essence, treat mounting qì (shàn qì), and drain kidney fire, such as psoralea (Psoraleae Fructus, 补骨脂 bǔ gǔ zhī), fennel (Foeniculi Fructus, 茴香 huí xiāng), anemarrhena (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, 知母 zhī mǔ), phellodendron (Phellodendri Cortex, 黄柏 huáng bǎi), and alisma (Alismatis Rhizoma, 泽泻 zé xiè).