Citrons

Support a happy stomach, ease chest tightness, clear out mucus, and calm unsettled feelings in the belly. Citrons are often used for ongoing belly discomfort and feeling queasy.

Preparation

• For coughs and mucus, let citrons soak in wine and sip regularly. To help with ongoing chest issues, chop 1-2 citrons and steam them with maltose for 2 hours. Take a teaspoon twice a day.

• For belly discomfort and chest tightness, bake a citron (about 35g) and make it into powder. Mix with prickly ash and fennel (12g each) into a fine powder. Take 4g with water twice daily.

• For discomfort in the liver area and ongoing belly issues, boil 12-15g of fresh citron (or 6g dried citron) and sip like tea.

Notes

A citron is similar to an orange but has a special smell. In Chinese, it's called "aromatic orange" because of the essential oils in its peel. Eating it fresh can be quite sour, so many people in China mix it with honey and sugar. When you eat it, it helps the energy in your body move better and eases tightness.