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Vinegar, also known as Kujiu (Bitter Wine). Because it acquires warm and hot qi, it follows its original nature; its taste is sour, its nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. Sourness can avert and consolidate stagnant heat, while warmth can move rebellious blood. Therefore, it eliminates carbuncles and swellings, and treats postpartum syncope due to blood stasis, abdominal masses (Zhengkuai), blood accumulation, and heart pain. These applications utilize its ability to avert and consolidate while simultaneously dispersing blood stasis and resolving toxicity. However, vinegar's flavor is heavily sour, with more consolidating effect than dispersing effect. It tends to assist Liver Qi at the expense of Spleen Earth. Thus, it is contraindicated in cases where exterior pathogens from wind-cold colds have not been resolved, and in patients with Spleen disease.

There are several types of vinegar production, but aged rice vinegar is considered the best. When taken orally for medicinal purposes, it dissipates water retention and expels evil toxins. It eliminates carbuncles and swellings, heals throat ulcers, dispels epigastric Qi pain, astringes the intestines to stop deficiency-type diarrhea, and resolves fixed accumulations (Jia masses). Stone-quenched vinegar fumes are particularly effective in fumigating postpartum syncope and trauma-induced syncope. Soaking Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai) and holding it in the mouth can cure mouth sores. Boiling Cyperi Rhizoma (Xiangfu) slices removes stagnation pain. Decocting Rheum Palmatum (Dahuang) miraculously eliminates癖 masses (Pi masses). Applying Arisaematis Rhizoma (Nanxing) paste yields immediate results for tumors and swellings. Mixing Realgar (Xionghuang), bee stings, and snake teeth for topical application is possible, but one must strictly avoid eating it with clam meat. Zhu Danxi stated: Vinegar tastes sour and sweet. Sourness consolidates, and sweetness causes stagnation; diseases arise gradually from this. If one can abstain from this, it is a means to prevent illness. Vinegar specifically benefits women but is unfavorable for men.

Among condiments, only aged soybean paste (Jiang) is used in medicine. Its salty and sour taste promotes drainage, thus clearing heat and stopping irritability and fullness. It treats consumption (Phthisis/Tuberculosis), burns and scalds, and neutralizes all toxins from fish, meat, vegetables, and mushrooms.

Moldy Jiang (fermented bean curd or spoiled paste), when used medicinally, relies on aging to kill various insects. It resolves venom from snakes, scorpions, and bees, detoxifies hundred herbs, and alleviates toxins from vegetables and mushrooms. Applied slightly to tinea and pruritus, itching stops immediately.

Yitang (Maltose) is made by soaking wheat sprouts or grain sprouts with other grains and boiling them into a syrup. Its taste is sweet, its nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. It enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Sweet taste enters the Spleen, and since rice and wheat are grains of the Spleen and Stomach, it primarily tonifies deficiency and exhaustion. Zhang Zhongjing uses it in Jianzhong Tang (Middle-Jian Decoction). Fire in the Lungs and Stomach causes thirst; fire flaming upward forcing blood causes hematemesis. Sweetness can relieve the branch symptoms of fire, allowing fire to descend, thereby stopping thirst and bleeding naturally. Hence, some claim it has effects such as resolving phlegm, moistening the lungs, stopping cough, treating sore throat, and hematemesis. However, Yitang is originally formed from damp-heat. In small amounts, it tonifies the Spleen and moistens the lungs; in excess, it generates fire and phlegm. It is contraindicated in cases of middle-jiao fullness, vomiting and regurgitation, alcohol intoxication, and gum rot. It is especially forbidden for Kidney disease.

Yitang enters the Spleen to tonify deficiency, stop thirst, remove blood stasis, moisten the lungs, stop cough, resolve phlegm, regulate the Spleen, tonify the center, and harmonize the Stomach. It is used in Jianzhong Tang preparations for its sweet and relaxing properties. It should not be used in cases of middle-jiao fullness and vomiting. Excessive consumption by children damages teeth and causes worms. Zhu Danxi stated: Yitang vigorously releases heat trapped in dampness; therefore, it is contraindicated in Kidney disease complicated by damp-heat.