Aged Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi)
陈皮 · Chénpí
Citrus reticulata
Family: Rutaceae · Part used: Aged fruit peel (3+ years) · Origin: Xinhui, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
Nature
Warm
Flavor
Pungent, bitter
Meridian
Spleen, Stomach, Lung
In Cantonese families, aged tangerine peel is a family treasure — the older, the more precious. Xinhui peel aged a decade develops deep aroma and gentle power: regulating qi, drying dampness, transforming phlegm, and sweetening the digestibility of any formula. As the saying goes, 'two chen pi, half a ginseng'.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Regulates qi and harmonizes the stomach
- •Dries dampness and transforms phlegm
- •Relieves nausea and bloating
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Bloating and fullness after meals
- •Cough with copious phlegm
- •Nausea and hiccups
- •Poor appetite with dampness
- •Chest oppression
📖 Usage & Dosage
3–10 g in decoction; steeped in tea, cooked into red-bean desserts, or tucked into congee.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Chen Pi Tea
Aged peel 5 g steeped 10 minutes — the after-meal digestif of Canton.
Er Chen Tang Base
Chen pi + pinellia + poria + licorice — the master phlegm-transforming formula.
🔬 Modern Research
Hesperidin and polymethoxyflavones (nobiletin, tangeretin) from Xinhui chen pi are studied for lipid metabolism, vascular health, and digestive motility.
⚠️ Contraindications
Use caution with dry cough from yin deficiency and fluid dryness.
