Which pot is best for decocting Chinese medicine?

The key to decocting Chinese medicine is to bring it to a boil over high heat and then simmer over low heat to allow the medicinal properties to be fully absorbed into the soup, thus ensuring the greatest possible efficacy. Decocting Chinese medicine not only requires careful methods, but also has special requirements for utensils. It cannot be the pot we usually use for cooking, especially aluminum pot, iron pot and copper pot containing metal components, which may cause toxic side effects of traditional Chinese medicine.

Which vessel is best for decocting Chinese medicine?

Clay pots are the best choice for decocting Chinese medicine. The main component of the clay pot is silicate, which has stable chemical properties and is not easy to react chemically with the medicine. In addition, it transfers heat slowly and is heated evenly, so water is not easy to evaporate when decocting medicine. It is also cheap, so ceramic clay pots and earthenware jars are the most convenient and practical.

How to choose a good quality casserole

Look at the color: High-quality clay pots are mostly white, because white pottery is rich in iron oxide and contains less artificial pigments, so there are relatively fewer impurities. Such a casserole will not produce any substances harmful to the human body after heating and is more suitable for cooking food.

It depends on the pottery: the surface of a high-quality clay pot is bright and even, without protruding sand grains, and feels smooth and delicate rather than rough. Because it is stirred evenly during the production process, it is not easy to crack. If the surface of the casserole is not smooth and feels rough to the touch, it means that the clay is not mixed evenly. Or it may feel smooth but small holes can be seen in it, which means that there are many bubbles in the clay during the firing process. Both of these casseroles are prone to cracking during use, so you must be careful when purchasing them.

Look at the shape: a high-quality casserole has a reasonable structure, a very symmetrical pot body, and is very stable when placed on a flat surface without shaking. Then look at the lid, we can turn it a few more times. If the lid fits smoothly and tightly against the mouth of the pot when you turn it, it means there is no problem with the structure of the casserole.

Listen to the sound: This is very important. The correct way is to hold up the casserole with your hand and tap the side of the casserole with the lid. If the echo you hear is loud and crisp, it means the density of the casserole is high, the firing degree is good, and it has no cracks and is not easy to produce; if the echo is dull after knocking, it means the density of the casserole is low, the firing degree is not good, or there are cracks, so you must pay more attention when using it.

Maintenance of casserole

Cracks may form on a casserole if it is suddenly heated or cooled. Therefore, do not wash the casserole that has just been used to boil medicine with cold water immediately. Instead, let it cool on dry wood chips or racks before cleaning off the medicine stains. The grease on the casserole should not be soaked with detergent to prevent dirty water from seeping into the pores. It can be wiped with leftover tea leaves, or soaked in rice water to heat it up, and then scrubbed with a brush.