White Radish and Chen Pi Water

Why people make this drink

When a family member faces surgery that requires general anaesthesia, many readers in Bro Niu’s community prepare a flask of this simple radish and chen pi water to bring to the hospital. In Bro Niu’s own experience with a relative’s operation, the patient drank a large thermos of this water as soon as she was allowed fluids — and urinated freely not long after, which is traditionally understood to signal that the anaesthetic is moving out of the body. By contrast, a neighbour in the same ward who had not drunk it struggled for some time before she could urinate at all.

This is, in Bro Niu’s words, an extremely easy drink to prepare in advance and bring along. The key is to sip it slowly and steadily, in small mouthfuls, and to drink as much as you comfortably can.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for adults recovering from any kind of surgery requiring general or regional anaesthesia, including caesarean section
• Drink in small sips to encourage urination; larger, continuous gulps are said to encourage bowel movement instead — sip slowly for the urinary benefit
• Once urination has resumed normally (2–3 days at most), there is no need to continue
• Not suitable when qi-tonifying herbs (such as bei qi / astragalus) are being prescribed — Bro Niu advises waiting about three days after surgery before beginning tonic herbs; use the radish water in the immediate post-operative window instead
• Suitable for most constitutions, including those who run cold; mildly cooling in nature but not harsh
• Drink at room temperature; avoid chilled

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• White daikon radish (bai luo bo, 白萝卜): In traditional Chinese food therapy, white radish is considered to descend qi, dispel turbidity, promote urination and relieve constipation, and support the body’s natural detoxification. Its downward-moving action is central to the rationale for using it after surgery.
• Dried tangerine peel (chen pi, 陳皮): Chen pi is widely used to move qi in the middle burner (spleen and stomach), ease digestive sluggishness, resolve phlegm, and reduce bloating. Combining it with radish strengthens the qi-moving, draining effect. Bro Niu notes there is no need to scrape off the white pith — it is traditionally associated with supporting vascular health.

Ingredients (3 bowls / 1 pot)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
White daikon radish	1 medium (~300 g / 0.5 jin)	Peel and cut into chunks
Dried tangerine peel (chen pi)	2 whole pieces	Soak in cold water until soft, then cut into strips
Water	6 bowls (~1.5 litres)	Reduce to 3 bowls during cooking

Method

1. Wash and peel the daikon radish, then cut into rough chunks.
2. Soak the chen pi in cool water until soft (about 10 minutes), then cut into strips.
3. Place both ingredients into a pot with 6 bowls of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer for 30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to about 3 bowls.
5. Remove from heat. Pour into a thermos if taking to hospital, or serve warm at home.

Bro Niu’s tips

• Sip in small mouthfuls, and drink as much as you can — this is what encourages the bladder to become active and release urine. Large continuous gulps have more of a bowel-moving effect.
• The drink can be prepared the night before surgery and stored for up to 2 days.
• If white daikon is unavailable (as reported by a reader in the UK), Bro Niu suggests a substitute: half a fresh lemon, sliced, simmered with a small amount of brown sugar in water for 5 minutes — sip slowly in the same way.
• Green daikon (qing luo bo) can also be used if white daikon is not available.
• Drink at room temperature. Do not chill.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Janey): After surgery, how many days should I keep drinking the radish and chen pi water? Bro Niu: Generally, once bowel and bladder movements are flowing freely you can stop — at most 2 to 3 days.

• Q (匿名 reader): Is this suitable for a woman who has given birth by caesarean section? Bro Niu: Yes, it is suitable after a caesarean. It helps clear the anaesthetic quickly. After about three days, when you start tonic herbs to replenish qi and blood, do not continue using white radish at that point — it can interfere with the tonifying effect.

• Q (coey): After kidney removal surgery, can I just drink this as I would ordinary water? Will it conflict with anything? Bro Niu: Yes, from the moment you are allowed fluids after surgery, sip this in small mouthfuls. It encourages the bladder to move and helps expel urine. Small sips promote urination; larger gulps promote bowel movement. Go slowly and steadily.

---

Published May 22, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.