I believe many people underestimate the healing effects of dried tangerine peel (陈皮). I hardly leave the house without dried tangerine peel as it is one of the foods (snacks) that I’ve personally experienced real, positive healing effects from!
In many Asian countries, most people eat dried tangerine peel as a snack, but rarely do people consume it for its healing benefits.
The first time I learned about its healing benefits was during my class at Singapore College of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), where the professor shared that dried tangerine peel is excellent for harmonizing the Qi flow in our stomach!
Ever since that class, I will always carry some dried tangerine peel with me, especially if I know that I will be having meals outside.
Providing Relief For These Three Situations
There are three situations where dried tangerine peels can be especially useful:
1) Motion sickness – Dried tangerine peel is highly effective for relieving motion sickness, especially when traveling on winding roads towards higher altitudes.
People experiencing motion sickness, whether on the roads or the sea, often feel bloated and may even feel nauseous. This happens because the Qi in the stomach is disturbed.
During this time, eating some dried tangerine peel can bring relief, often after a few burps.
2) Anxiety – I also use dried tangerine peel to help ease my anxiety when I need to do public speaking, which sometimes make me feel so nervous that I can throw up. Eating dried tangerine peel helps calm my nerves and provide relief in such situations.
3) Indigestion – I’m not sure if you’ve experienced this, but sometimes after eating some oily foods or drinking some beverages that contain dairy, I feel bloated. It’s as if my stomach has stopped digesting, leaving me with no appetite for the next meal.
This is the time when dried tangerine peel will have a miraculous effect on me. After I eat a few pieces of dried tangerine peel, I will let out a few burps after a while, and then I feel better and normal again. This is the reason why I always carry dried tangerine peel with me whenever I go.
Now, let’s get down to its properties!
The thermal nature of dried tangerine peel is warm. This means people who are heaty should avoid consuming it for the time being.
Dried tangerine peel has properties that benefit the spleen and lungs as follows:
Harmonize the Qi flow in the spleen and stomach (理气健脾): Whenever you feel bloated from eating oily or dairy foods, or experience nausea from motion (like traveling on the seas or in high altitude areas), dried tangerine peel can help to soothe the Qi in your stomach and relieve the discomfort.
Dissolve phlegm in the lungs (燥湿化痰): Dried tangerine peel can also help to dissolve phlegm in your lungs especially if the phlegm is caused by the cold food that you eat, or sudden changes in the surrounding air temperature.
The daily dosage recommendation is 3 to 10g.
Who Should Avoid Eating Dried Tangerine Peel
Most people will not have issues eating dried tangerine peel, but do make sure that you don’t eat it every day.
Also, you should avoid consuming dried tangerine peel if you are having a sore throat or fever.
Two Types of Dried Tangerine Peel
There are two forms of dried tangerine peel.
The first is the kind that requires cooking as shown in the image below. This type of dried tangerine peel is best for cooking desserts like red bean soup.
The second type of dried tangerine peel is the ready-to-eat kind that you can enjoy as a snack on its own.
I will usually choose those with darker skin because the darker the colour, the stronger the healing effects!
Most Convenient Way to Eat Dried Tangerine Peel
The most convenient way to enjoy the benefits of dried tangerine peel is to buy the ready-to-eat kind that does not require any soaking or cooking. You can purchase them at any TCM retail shops in your area or online at Amazon.
If you are looking for good quality ones, I can help to purchase them in my country and ship them to where you live. Click here to check out the dried tangerine peel that I am selling on this website.
I hope you find this post useful!