Ejiao
阿膠 · Ē Jiāo
Rebuilds blood, steadies bleeding, softens dryness
Properties
NeutralNeutral botanicalSweet
Concerns
What it does
Ejiao is for when heavy or irregular bleeding has left you drained and dry. It is donkey hide simmered into a gelatin, which TCM treats as one of the most direct blood builders available. The unusual part: it builds blood while also slowing the loss, which is why it anchors formulas for heavy periods. It dissolves in warm water or rice wine, stirred in at the end rather than boiled.
Safety
- Animal product derived from donkey hide. Not suitable for vegans or those avoiding animal products
- Heavy and cloying. Avoid with digestive weakness, loose stools, bloating, or nausea. It can worsen Spleen deficiency
- Do not boil directly in a decoction. Dissolve separately in warm liquid and add at the end
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication or are pregnant
How to take it
Do NOT add ejiao to a boiling decoction. Dissolve 3–9g separately in warm water, broth, or rice wine, then stir into the finished decoction or drink straight. Once or twice daily.
Look for it as a key ingredient in Wen Jing Tang (Warm the Menses) for irregular periods with cold in the lower abdomen
Where it comes from
Ejiao has been made in Dong'e County, Shandong Province for over 2,500 years, and the unusually mineral-rich local well water was considered essential to its quality. The classic process runs long: wash and soak the hide, remove hair, stew up to 16 hours, strain, concentrate, then add rock sugar and rice wine before pouring into molds. Black donkey hide is prized most. It appears in the Divine Husbandman's Classic and became part of Chinese court medicine.