Medicinals
yí táng / 饴糖 / 飴糖 / malt sugar
Latin pharmacognostic name: Maltosum
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 软糖 ruǎn táng; 麦芽糖 mài yá táng; 胶饴 jiāo yí
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal and alimentary
Category: Supplementing agents / Qì-supplementing agents
Properties: Sweet; warm.
Channel entry: lung, spleen, and stomach channels.
Indications:
- Supplements the center and relaxes tension: Center vacuity with pain in the stomach duct and abdomen.
- Moistens the lung and relieves cough: Lung vacuity dry cough with scant phlegm.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 15–20g per dose should be dissolved in decoctions. It may also be boiled to make a paste or can be used in pills.
Notes:
Two forms of yí táng are available. 1. Soft malt sugar, called 软饴 ruǎn yí or 胶饴 jiāo yí in Chinese, the kind normally used medicinally, takes the form of a pale golden translucent sticky viscous fluid. It is made by slow-boiling pre-cooked ground glutinous rice, regular rice, and other grains with barely sprout (malt). 2. Hard malt sugar, called 硬饴 yìng yí or 白饴糖 bái yí táng, is made by stretching and turning soft malt sugar so that it absorbs air; it is whitish in color.
Product Description:
Soft malt sugar, called ruǎn yí 软饴 or jiāo yí 胶饴 in Chinese, the kind normally used medicinally, takes the form of a pale golden translucent sticky viscous fluid. It is the product of slow-boiling pre-cooked glutinous or regular rice with barley sprout (malt). Hard malt sugar, 硬饴 yìng yí or 白饴汤 bái yí táng, made by stretching and turning soft malt sugar to absorb air, is whitish in color.
Quality:
Use the soft variety.
Product Area:
All parts of China.