Time-honored formulas rooted in the principle of “medicine and food sharing a common origin” are traditional prescriptions recorded in classical medical texts. These formulas use substances that serve as both medicine and food as their primary ingredients, offering dual benefits for health maintenance and disease prevention, while boasting distinctive characteristics and advantages. With proven efficacy, they remain widely used today. Adhering to the ancient philosophy of dietary therapy based on the unity of medicine and food, these time-tested remedies embody the wisdom of past generations. As two leading domestic herbal‑tea brands continue to spearhead a market worth tens of billions, and sour plum soup reinvents itself by drawing on classic ancient formulas, which next iconic formula will give rise to the next blockbuster product in the multi‑billion‑dollar medicine‑and‑food category?
1. Lily and White Fungus Sweet Soup
[Tracing the Origin]
Lily and white fungus sweet soup originates from the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. According to the “Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica,” lily nourishes the lungs and relieves coughs, while white fungus is also a time-honored ingredient that combines medicinal and culinary uses. This harmonious pairing has been cherished in folk tradition for generations, widely favored for its nourishing and moistening properties that help alleviate dryness.
[Ingredients]
A common recipe calls for 10 grams of white fungus, 10 grams of lily bulbs, an appropriate amount of rock sugar, and a small handful of goji berries. Soak the white fungus until rehydrated, then tear it into small pieces; wash the lily bulbs thoroughly. Combine all ingredients with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Finally, stir in the rock sugar and goji berries.
[Effects]
It has the effects of moistening the lungs and nourishing yin, tonifying qi and strengthening the spleen, and calming the heart and soothing the spirit, making it suitable for symptoms such as dry cough in autumn and insomnia with frequent dreams.
[Tracing the Origin]
Eight‑Treasure Cake originated in the Ming dynasty’s “Essential Principles of Surgery,” created by the renowned physician Chen Shigong. It is a classic dietary remedy for strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, and has since been widely favored as a health‑preserving and tonifying choice.
[Ingredients]
The recipe for Bazen Cake calls for equal parts of Poria, Euryale seeds, lotus seeds, coix seed, Chinese yam, white hyacinth beans, hawthorn, and malt, combined with glutinous rice flour and honey in a 1:1 ratio.
[Effects] It tonifies qi and nourishes blood, and regulates the spleen and stomach, making it an ideal daily health‑care food for those with physical weakness and deficiency of qi and blood.
[Tracing the Origin]
: Autumn pear syrup originated in the Tang Dynasty, originally known as “snow pear syrup,” and evolved from a royal court formula. It was ideally suited for nourishment and health maintenance among the imperial court, and later, after refinement, spread to the general populace, becoming a classic remedy for moistening dryness and promoting well-being.
[Ingredients]
A common formulation consists of 500 g of Ya pears, 5 dried red dates, 30 g of rock sugar, 10 g of old ginger, and 30 g of honey, supplemented with medicinal herbs such as Rehmannia root and kudzu root. After washing, simmering, filtering, and concentrating the ingredients, honey is added to produce the final product.
[Effects]
Pears moisten the lungs and clear heat, jujubes nourish the blood, ginger warms the stomach, and honey calms the spirit; together, they promote yin‑nourishing and lung‑moistening, resolve phlegm and relieve cough, and facilitate bowel movements while clearing internal heat.
IV. Small Hanging Pear Soup
[Tracing the Origin]
Xiao Diaoli Soup traces its origins to the imperial beverage “Li’s Pear Soup,” which dates back to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. Originally created by the Li family of Zhao County, Hebei, it won the emperor’s enthusiastic praise after he tasted it, and was subsequently passed down to the common people, becoming a time-honored health‑boosting soup.
[Ingredients]
A typical recipe for Xiao Diao Pear Soup includes two snow pears, a small piece of dried white fungus, three red dates, 30 grams of rock sugar, and 10 grams of goji berries. Additionally, you can add ingredients like preserved plums to suit your taste.
[Effects]
It has the effects of moistening dryness, clearing the heart, reducing internal heat, and generating body fluids, making it suitable for symptoms such as dry skin in autumn, dryness and heat in the mouth and tongue, and dry, sore throat; it is an excellent choice for nourishing the lungs and replenishing yin.
[Tracing the Origin]
San Gen Tang originated in the Eastern Han dynasty and is a medicinal‑food‑dual‑purpose formula devised by the “Sage of Medicine,” Zhang Zhongjing. At that time, epidemics were rampant in the Wancheng region, with many children falling ill from influenza, meningitis, measles, and other ailments. Zhang Zhongjing therefore formulated this remedy: he instructed his disciples to gather reed roots, white grass roots, and dandelion roots, mixed them with brown sugar as a guiding agent, and offered the decoction free of charge. In this way, the local epidemic was ultimately brought under control. Similar accounts can be found in Qing‑dynasty medical texts.
[Ingredients]
The classic formula of San Gen Tang consists of white pampas grass root, reed root, and kudzu root, typically in a 1:1:1 ratio.
[Effects]
It clears heat and detoxifies, generates fluids to quench thirst, and promotes diuresis to relieve irritability. It is indicated for wind‑heat common cold, fever, dry throat, and thirst, and stands as a classic formula in the tradition of “medicine–food homology,” balancing both medicinal efficacy and dietary therapeutic value.
VI. Four-Ingredient Decoction
[Tracing the Origin]
The Four‑God Soup was first recorded in the “Taiping Shenghui Fang” and was a renowned imperial dish of the Song dynasty, originally known as “Sheep Liver Soup.” After the addition of ingredients such as goji berries and Chinese angelica, it was renamed “Four‑God Soup,” later also referred to as “Four‑Substance Soup,” and has been passed down to the present day. Its name reflects the miraculous health benefits attributed to its four principal ingredients.
[Ingredients]
The classic recipe calls for 30 grams each of Chinese yam, lotus seeds, Euryale seeds, and Poria, along with an appropriate amount of pig stomach or pork kidneys. You may also adjust the ingredients to suit your personal taste.
[Effects]
It tonifies the spleen and stops diarrhea, while also nourishing the kidneys and consolidating essence, making it particularly suitable for symptoms such as spleen deficiency–induced diarrhea and kidney deficiency–related seminal emission. It is ideal for long-term consumption, helping to strengthen the body and improve issues related to spleen‑stomach and kidney deficiency.
[Tracing the Origin]
The Five‑Juice Drink was first recorded in Sun Simiao’s “Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces” from the Tang Dynasty. Originally formulated to treat heat‑induced illnesses that deplete yin and consume body fluids, it later gained widespread popularity among the people as folk wisdom embraced the principle of “medicine and food share a common origin,” leading to its refinement into a classic health‑promoting beverage.
[Ingredients]
The classic formula consists of 30 g each of pear, water chestnut, fresh reed root, ophiopogon, and lotus root. Juice these five ingredients together and drink the mixture; you may also adjust the proportions to suit your personal taste.
[Effects]
It clears heat and generates body fluids, moistens dryness, and relieves cough, making it suitable for symptoms such as yin deficiency due to febrile diseases, thirst from fluid loss, and dry cough with scant phlegm. It is an excellent choice for nourishing the lungs and replenishing yin during the dry autumn and winter seasons.
[Tracing the Origin]
Five‑Red Soup originated in the ancient imperial court and is also a time‑tested folk remedy for health preservation. Initially, it was specially prepared to nourish the bodies of the palace concubines. The ingredients used in this soup are not only vividly colored but also rich in nutritional value, earning it the reputation of being the “Five Treasures of Red‑Hued Health.” After prolonged simmering, the nutrients meld seamlessly, resulting in a nourishing broth that delights the palate with its exquisite color, aroma, and flavor.
[Ingredients]
A common recipe calls for 30 grams of red beans, 30 grams of red-skinned peanuts, 15 grams of goji berries, 9 red dates, 30 grams of brown sugar, and approximately 2,000 milliliters of water.
[Effects] It has the effects of tonifying the middle jiao and replenishing qi, nourishing the blood and calming the spirit, as well as benefiting the spleen and warming the stomach.
[Tracing the Origin]
: Sour plum soup originates from records in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” and was initially used to regulate the spleen and stomach, relieve summer heat, and quench thirst. During the Qing dynasty, it became a popular summer beverage in the imperial court, later spreading to the common people and evolving into a classic example of a food‑medicine‑both‑in‑one drink.
[Ingredients]
A common formula consists of 30 grams of black plum, 15 grams of hawthorn, 10 grams of licorice, an appropriate amount of osmanthus flowers, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar.
[Effects]
It generates body fluids to quench thirst, stimulates the appetite and aids digestion, calms the spirit and strengthens the spleen, and astringes to stop seminal fluid leakage and diarrhea. It is suitable for symptoms such as summer‑heat‑induced thirst, food stagnation with abdominal distension, and persistent diarrhea.
[Tracing the Origin]
Liangcha is a traditional Chinese folk beverage that combines medicinal and culinary properties, with a long history originating in Guangdong. Initially used to cope with the humid‑hot climate of southern China, it helped prevent and alleviate discomfort caused by summer heat. Later, through systematic compilation in medical classics such as the Compendium of Materia Medica, it evolved into a quintessential formula for clearing heat and detoxifying. During the Qing dynasty, it gradually diversified into numerous formulations, each reflecting local characteristics. Relying on the scientific blending of natural ingredients that serve both as food and medicine, liangcha has been passed down through generations, giving rise to nationally renowned brands like Wanglaoji and Jiaduobao—each now worth tens of billions of yuan.
[Ingredients]
A common formulation includes 10 g of honeysuckle, 10 g of chrysanthemum, 5 g of licorice, 10 g of bamboo leaves, 10 g of rehmannia root, and an appropriate amount of honey; the proportions can be adjusted as needed, with flexible additions such as mesona, frangipani, prunella, and guava leaves. Over time, this evolved into the classic “3 flowers + 3 herbs + 1 leaf” formula—today’s Wanglaoji, Jiaduobao, and other brands use seven key herbal ingredients: mesona, frangipani, guava leaves, chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, prunella, and licorice.
[Effects]
It clears heat and detoxifies, dispels dampness and reduces internal fire, and helps prevent symptoms such as overheating, sore and swollen throat, and dry mouth and tongue; it is especially suitable for consumption during the summer in humid and hot regions.
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Article reprinted from: The Big Health Food & Beverage Research Official Account
Copyright: Big Health Food & Beverage Research Official Account
