May 9, 2019

Foochow love for Hawthorn Tea







Hawthorn Fruit

Latin: Fructus Crataegz.

the hawthorn fruit in China is pinnatifida Bunge or Chinese hawthorn. All hawthorns are native to the temperate countries like USA, UK and EU. It has spread to China and is found along river banks, on sandy soils or stony slopes.

In my ancestors' homeland, in Fujian, the san char or hawthorn tree is well loved and is usually found on the hill slopes, Fujian being very hilly. It is a hardy tree, which needs very little soil. It can grow to about 7 m. tall and flowers in May.

Hawthorn is produced in most areas of China. Upon harvesting, the fruit is dried in the sun, sliced and used when raw.

Also called Haw, Chinese Haw or Thornapple. We Chinese believe that the fruit  promotes digestion, removes stagnated food, activates the flow of qi, promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and expels worms.

Hawthorn fruit is used for treatment of retention of meat and food in the stomach, mass in the abdomen, phlegm retention, feeling of fullness in the chest and upper abdomen, diarrhea, dysentery, lower back pain, hernia, postpartum abdominal pain, milk stagnation of babies.


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