Herbal & Flower Teas
Fo-Ti, Gou Teng and Stiff Silkworm Decoction
Traditionally used to nourish blood and calm itchy skin, especially long-standing itch
Why people make this decoction
Winter dries the skin and brings the itch, especially for older folks — thinner skin oils, plus the habit of bathing in hotter water, strips away what little oil remains and leaves the skin itchy. Bro Niu once saw relatives back home rub plain glycerin (the kind used for enemas) on itchy skin with apparent relief, probably because it keeps the skin moist. This decoction is traditionally aimed at older people whose itch is tied to blood-deficiency and an over-active liver — the kind of long-standing itch that flares when emotions run high.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits older or blood-deficient people with long-standing itch that worsens with stress or emotional swings
- Traditionally used for various kinds of itchy skin
- These are medicinal herbs; do not exceed the stated amounts, and consult a practitioner for nerve-related or persistent skin disease
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Prepared fo-ti (shou wu): Classically used to nourish blood and the liver-kidney; associated with calming blood-deficiency itch.
- Gou teng (gambir vine): Traditionally used to calm the liver and settle “wind” — the restless, shifting itch.
- Stiff silkworm (jiang can) and fang feng: Long paired to disperse “wind” and ease itch.
- Raw rehmannia (sheng di): Cools the blood and nourishes yin, balancing the formula.
Ingredients (2 bowls, 1 day’s serving)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared fo-ti (shou wu) | ~19 g (5 qian) | |
| Gou teng (gambir vine) | ~19 g (5 qian) | |
| Stiff silkworm (jiang can) | ~11 g (3 qian) | |
| Fang feng (siler) | ~11 g (3 qian) | |
| Raw rehmannia (sheng di) | ~15 g (4 qian) |
Method
- Rinse all the herbs.
- Simmer in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls.
- Drink across the day; repeat for several days.
Bro Niu’s tips
This decoction is traditionally helpful for many kinds of itchy skin. Fo-ti dislikes iron, so brew it in a clay pot or ceramic (Corningware) pot rather than iron. You can add a little lean pork if you like.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Zuo Tai): I’m about 30, my skin itches from dry weather. Is the amount above right for me? Can I add lean pork or pork bone? Bro Niu: Yes, you can drink this soup, and adding lean pork is fine — take it for 3 rounds and see if it helps. Don’t bathe in water that’s too hot, and apply a moisturising oil often.
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Q (Qing): My daughter drank a mung-bean, Job’s-tears and licorice sweet soup with some improvement, but the backs of her hands still itch. I worry mung bean is too cold — any other options? Bro Niu: Use the “three-bean soup” so it isn’t cooling: mung bean, black bean and red bean in equal parts, plus one piece of chen pi and some slab sugar, simmered together — it also helps ease itchy skin. Dabbing the itch with rice vinegar on a cotton pad can relieve it; rinse off after half an hour.
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Q (Qing, follow-up): My 30-year-old daughter ate beef with lotus root and broke out — ears red, face swollen, body itchy; the doctor called it dermatitis. Any soup to help? Bro Niu: She’s allergic to beef — she should eat less of it from now on. Try mung bean and Job’s tears (~38 g each), 3–4 slices licorice and a little brown sugar as a sweet soup for 2 days, and see if it improves.
Published November 16, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
