(菜性属阴。职司疏泄。是谓之蔬。日用之不可缺。因着于谷次。)
【蔓菁菜】
菜中之最益人者。常食和中益气。令人肥健。凡往远方煮青菜豆腐食。则无不服水土病。
【菠菜】
多食滑大小肠。久食脚软腰痛。
【芥菜】
多食动风发气。不可同兔肉食。能生恶疮。同鲫鱼食。能发水肿。
【苋菜】
动风。令人烦闷。冷中损腹。同鳖食。都变为小鳖。急饮马溺愈。亦不可食蕨。
【 角菜】
久食发病损经络。少颜色。又令脚冷痹。伤肾。
【芹菜】
生高田者宜食。和醋食损齿。赤色者害人。
【 菜】
性冷发痔。
【紫菜】
多食发气。令人腹痛。吐白沫。饮多醋即消。其中小螺蛳损人须拣出。海菜亦然。
【茭白】
不可合生菜食。合蜜同食发痼疾。损阳气。
【蕨】
食之令人 。弱阳。又令眼昏鼻塞。发落。小儿食之。脚弱不能行。气冷人食之多腹胀。
【茄】
性寒滑。动气发疮。多食主腹痛下利。妇人伤子宫。
【葱】
功能发汗。多食则昏神。与蜜同食。则下痢腹痛。葱与鸡雉犬肉同食。九窍出血害人。
【韭】
病患少食。多食助阳损神昏目。尤不可与蜜同食。若同牛肉食成瘕病。
【薤】
似葱而细。食之生痰涕。动邪火。反牛肉。
【蒜】
唯辟恶气。快胃消滞。久食生痰火。伤肝损目。弱阳。食蒜行房伤肝气。令人面变颜色。
【葫荽】
久食损神。健忘。根大损阳。滑精。发痼疾。
【葵菜】
食之发宿疾。服一切药俱忌食。同鲤食害人。
【白萝卜】
消痰下气。利膈宽中。多食耗脾气。生食渗血 心。如服地黄何首乌人参者食之,须鬓
发皆白。
【瓠子】
滑肠。冷气人食之反甚。葫萝匏有小毒。多食令人吐烦闷。苦者不宜食。
【笋】
性冷难化。多食动气。不益脾胃。令人嘈杂。
【菌】
地生为菌。木生为薷。为木耳为蕈。凡新蕈有毛者。下无纹者。夜有光者。肉烂无虫者。
煮熟照人无影者。春夏有蛇虫经过者。误食俱杀人。若食枫树菌者。往往笑不止而死。犯者
掘地为坎。投水搅取。清者饮之。即解。木菌唯楮榆柳槐桑枣木六样耳可食。然大寒滞膈。
难消。宜少食。凡煮菌可同银器灯草煮。如银器黑者有大毒,不可食。
【生姜】
专开胃。止呕吐。行药滞。制半夏毒。谚云上床萝卜下床姜。盖晚食萝卜。则消酒食之
滞。清晨食姜。能开胃御风。敌寒解秽。九月食姜。伤人损寿。
[The nature of vegetables is Yin. Their function is to unblock and drain, hence they are called "Shu" (vegetables). They are indispensable in daily life and are typically consumed as a side dish alongside grains.]
[Majing Vegetable (Turnip Greens)]
Among vegetables, it is the most beneficial to humans. Regular consumption harmonizes the middle jiao and benefits Qi, making one plump and strong. Those traveling to distant places who cook and eat Majing vegetable with tofu will not suffer from acclimatization issues.
[Spinach]
Excessive consumption causes slippery discharge in the large and small intestines. Long-term consumption leads to weakness in the legs and lower back pain.
[Mustard Greens]
Excessive consumption stirs wind and disrupts Qi movement. It should not be eaten with rabbit meat, as this can generate malignant sores. Eating it with crucian carp can induce edema.
[Amaranth]
It stirs wind and causes irritability and oppression. Its cold nature damages the middle warmer and abdomen. Eating it with turtle meat is said to transform one into a small turtle (folklore); drinking horse urine urgently can cure this. It should also not be eaten with bracken fern.
[Long Bean (Cowpea)]
Long-term consumption induces disease and damages meridians and collaterals, dulls the complexion, causes coldness and bi-syndrome in the feet, and injures the Kidney.
[Celery]
Those grown in high-field terraces are suitable for consumption. Eating it with vinegar damages the teeth; red-colored celery is harmful to people.
[Water Shield (Chun Cai)]
Its nature is cold and it triggers hemorrhoids.
[Laver (Seaweed)]
Excessive consumption disrupts Qi movement, causing abdominal pain and vomiting of white foam. Drinking plenty of vinegar dissipates it. Small snails mixed within must be picked out as they harm the body. The same applies to other sea vegetables.
[Jia Bai (Wild Asparagus Rhizome)]
It should not be eaten with raw vegetables. Eating it with honey triggers chronic diseases and damages Yang Qi.
[Bracken Fern]
Consumption makes one lethargic and weakens Yang. It also causes blurred vision, nasal congestion, and hair loss. Children eating it may suffer from leg weakness and inability to walk. People with cold Qi consuming it often experience abdominal distension.
[Eggplant]
Its nature is cold and slippery. It stirs Qi and triggers sores. Excessive consumption mainly causes abdominal pain and diarrhea. For women, it injures the uterus.
[Scallion/Green Onion]
Its function is to induce sweating. Excessive consumption clouds the spirit. Eating it with honey causes dysentery and abdominal pain. Eating scallions with chicken, pheasant, or dog meat causes bleeding from the nine orifices and harms the body.
[Chinese Chives/Leek]
Patients should consume little. Excessive consumption aids Yang but damages the spirit, leading to dizziness and blurred vision. It must not be eaten with honey. If eaten with beef, it forms Jia masses (abdominal lumps).
[Xie (Welsh Onion/Rakkyo)]
Similar to scallions but thinner. Consumption generates phlegm and nasal discharge, stirs pathogenic fire, and is incompatible with beef.
[Garlic]
It primarily expels evil qi, promotes stomach function, and resolves stagnation. Long-term consumption generates phlegm-fire, damages the Liver and eyes, and weakens Yang. Having sexual intercourse after eating garlic damages Liver Qi and alters facial complexion.
[Cilantro/Coriander]
Long-term consumption damages the spirit and causes forgetfulness. The root severely damages Yang, causing seminal emission, and triggers chronic diseases.
[Kai Vegetable (Malva Verticillata/Winter Mallow)]
Consumption triggers old diseases. It is taboo to eat while taking any medication. Eating it with carp is harmful.
[White Radish/Daikon]
It resolves phlegm, directs Qi downward, benefits the diaphragm, and broadens the middle. Excessive consumption depletes Spleen Qi. Raw consumption leaks blood and harms the Heart. Those taking Rehmannia, Polygonum multiflorum, or Ginseng who eat it will find their beard and hair turning white.
[Calabash/Hu Zi]
It lubricates the intestines. For those with cold Qi, consumption worsens symptoms. Huluo Bao has slight toxicity; excessive consumption causes vomiting and irritability. Bitter varieties should not be eaten.
[Bamboo Shoots]
Their nature is cold and difficult to digest. Excessive consumption stirs Qi and does not benefit the Spleen and Stomach, causing gastric discomfort (zaochi).
[Fungi/Mushrooms]
Those growing on the ground are called Jun; those growing on wood are called Ru, Mu'er, or Zhan. Any new mushroom that has hairs, lacks gills/pores underneath, glows at night, has rotting flesh without wormholes, casts no shadow when cooked, or appears in spring/summer where snakes or insects have passed, is fatal if ingested mistakenly. Eating mushrooms from maple trees often leads to death due to uncontrollable laughter. Victims should dig a pit, fill it with water, stir, and drink the clear supernatant to detoxify. Only mushrooms growing on paper mulberry, elm, willow, locust, mulberry, and jujube trees are edible, but they are very cold and cause stagnation in the chest, making them hard to digest; thus, they should be eaten sparingly. When boiling mushrooms, use silver vessels and rush pith. If the silver vessel turns black, it indicates high toxicity and must not be eaten.
[Ginger]
It specifically opens the appetite, stops vomiting, moves medicinal stagnation, and counteracts the toxicity of Pinellia. The proverb says, "Eat radish at night, ginger in the morning." This implies that eating radish in the evening resolves food and alcohol stagnation, while eating ginger in the morning opens the appetite, wards off wind, resists cold, and eliminates turbidity. Eating ginger in the ninth lunar month harms the body and shortens lifespan.