Mint (Bo He)
薄荷 · Bòhé
Mentha haplocalyx
Family: Lamiaceae · Part used: Aerial parts · Origin: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Nature
Cool
Flavor
Pungent
Meridian
Lung, Liver
Chinese mint — lighter and greener than Western peppermint — disperses wind-heat at the surface, lifts the rash-bound pox of childhood tradition, and vents liver qi as a cooling breath. It must be steeped briefly, added at the end of decoction, so its menthol spirit survives.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Disperses wind-heat
- •Clears the head and eyes and benefits the throat
- •Vents rashes
- •Soothes liver qi stagnation
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Early wind-heat colds
- •Headache and red eyes
- •Sore throat
- •Wheezing chest with constraint
- •Urticaria with itching (traditional)
📖 Usage & Dosage
3–6 g steeped (added to decoction in the final 3–5 minutes); fresh leaves in summer teas.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Bo He Dou Chi Tea
Mint 3 g + fermented soybean 6 g + scallion — the early-cold dispersing infusion.
Summer Mint Tea
Fresh mint + chrysanthemum + rock sugar, iced — the classic heat-dispersing cooler.
🔬 Modern Research
Menthol is among the best-characterized natural compounds, with well-documented cooling, antitussive, and airway-soothing effects.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid with yin deficiency, night sweats, and in nursing mothers (may reduce milk).
