Gastrodia Tuber

The tuber of Gastrodia elata, a remarkable plant in that it is wholly without chlorophyll — it lives in symbiosis with the fungus Armillaria mellea, which supplies it with its nutrients.

Grown chiefly in the damp forests of Yunnan and Guizhou, its slow growth and complex ecology make it a precious plant.

Harvested in winter, the tuber is traditionally steamed then dried until it becomes that characteristic translucent yellowish-brown section, firm and waxy at the cut.

A plant of thousand-year-old tradition for constitutions of internal Wind.

The reference herb for settling the inner Wind of the Wood Phase and the tensions it sends up.

Traditionally used for constitutions where the Yang of Wood rises to excess or turns into an inner Wind that climbs and stirs.

Also to free the passage through the meridians in constitutions of tension and wandering discomforts.

• Long decoction: 3 to 10 g, simmer for 40 minutes minimum to extract it properly
• Fine powder: 1 to 1.5 g of powder taken separately, the method preferred for keeping the natural compounds that are sensitive to heat
• Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin: “decoction of Tian Ma and Gou Teng”, a classic blend for ascending Wood Yang with internal Wind
• Supplementing cooking: slices simmered in chicken broths — a winter supplementing tradition of south-western China

To be avoided in cases of markedly deficient Blood without Wind (the herb can add to dryness).

A precious herb, sometimes adulterated: choose reliable sources. Ask a practitioner for advice for long-standing constitutions.