Fo Shou

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Pinyin Name: Fo Shou

English Name: Fructus Citri Sarcodactylis

Other Names: Fingered Citron, Chen Fo Shou

Tastes: Acrid, Bitter, Warm

Origin: Sichuan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian and Yunnan provinces in China

Benefits of Fo Shou:

Fo Shou, also known as Buddha's hand, is a kind of fruit from a variant of citron. It is oddly shaped. This is simply because when the fruit ripens all its carpels separate from each other and form elongated, curved shapes. As a result, each carpel appears like a single finger and the whole fruit looks like a Buddha’s hand. It is harvested during autumn when the fruits start to turn yellow. After the harvest, they are sliced vertically into sheets, and dried in the sun or under low temperature.

Fo Shou covers 3 meridians of liver, spleen and lung. Main functions are stretching liver to smooth qi and harmonizing stomach to relieve the pain. Common uses and indications are liver-stomach qi depression, fullness in chest and rib cage, fullness or distension or pain in the stomach, reduced appetite and vomiting and more. Recommended dosage is from 3 to 6 grams.

Fo Shou is rich in nutrients, such as carbohydrates, crude fiber, ash, limettin and more. It can be made into tea and essential oil. It can also be used for dietary therapy.

Common herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine

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