Integration of Medicine and Food
Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren)
Taste: Sweet, Bland; Nature: Cool; Channels: Spleen, Stomach, Lung
Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren), also known as Job’s Tears, is the mature seed of the plant Coix lacryma-jobi, which commonly grows near houses, in wild fields, by rivers, streams, or in damp valleys. The fruits are harvested in autumn, the outer shell and yellow-brown skin are removed, impurities are cleaned, and the seeds are dried.
Ancient Preparation Methods
During the Liu Song period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were methods such as frying with glutinous rice and boiling in salt water (as noted in the “Treatise on the Preparation of Medicinal Materials”). In the Song Dynasty, there were methods like “lightly fried yellow” (as noted in the “Taiping Shenghui Fang”) and frying with glutinous rice (as noted in the “Jufang”). The frying method has been used to this day. In the Ming Dynasty, the method of salt frying (as noted in the “Medical Source Theory”) was added, and in the Qing Dynasty, methods such as earth frying (as noted in the “Bencao Shu”) and ginger juice stir-frying (as noted in the “Bencao Fengyuan”) were introduced, along with steaming and other preparation methods. Modern preparation methods include frying until charred, steaming followed by sand frying, steaming, and earth frying.
Modern Preparation Methods
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Coix Seed: Take the raw material, remove the shell and impurities, and sift out the ash.
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Fried Coix Seed: Take clean Coix seeds, place them in a frying container, and heat over low heat until the surface turns slightly yellow and puffs up, then remove and cool.
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Fried Coix Seed with Bran: Sprinkle bran into a hot pan, heat over medium heat until it smokes, then add the clean Coix seeds, frying until the surface turns yellow and slightly puffs up, then remove, sift out the bran, and cool. Use 10 kg of bran for every 100 kg of Coix seeds.
Efficacy and Indications
The raw product is slightly cold in nature, excels at promoting urination and draining dampness, clearing heat and expelling pus, and alleviating pain. It is used for urinary difficulties, edema, lung abscess, intestinal abscess, rheumatic pain, muscle spasms, and damp-heat diseases in the Qi level.
Fried Coix seeds and fried Coix seeds with bran are more neutral in nature, with similar effects, excelling at strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, but fried Coix seeds have a slightly stronger damp-draining effect, while fried Coix seeds with bran have a slightly superior spleen-strengthening effect, commonly used for spleen deficiency and diarrhea.
Main Components
Rich in proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and sterols.
Selection Criteria
Choose those that are plump, intact, and undamaged.
Storage Methods
Store in a ventilated and dry place to prevent insect damage.
Consumption Methods
Can be used in decoctions or porridge. The raw product is cool in nature, excels at promoting urination and draining dampness, clearing heat and expelling pus, and alleviating pain. It is used for urinary difficulties, edema, lung abscess, intestinal abscess, rheumatic pain, muscle spasms, and damp-heat diseases in the Qi level. Fried Coix seeds and fried Coix seeds with bran are more neutral in nature, with similar effects, excelling at strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, with fried Coix seeds having a slightly stronger damp-draining effect, while fried Coix seeds with bran have a slightly superior spleen-strengthening effect, commonly used for spleen deficiency and diarrhea.
Contraindications
1. Pregnant women should use with caution.
2. Use with caution in those with spleen deficiency without dampness and dry constipation.
Precautions
1. In the market, grass beads are often sold as Coix seeds; grass beads have weak damp-draining and spleen-strengthening effects and should be used as food grains, so care should be taken to distinguish them.
2. When purchasing, check for rancidity; those with a strong rancid smell should not be consumed.
3. This product is cool in nature and is not suitable for long-term or excessive consumption.
Common Imitations
Grass Beads: Both belong to the Poaceae family, and their appearances are similar. Careful visual identification shows that Coix seeds are slightly smaller than grass beads, with a greenish-white and slightly transparent appearance, and the seeds are taller than they are wide; grass beads have a milky white appearance, with neat edges, and the seeds are wider than they are tall.
Recommended Recipes
01
Coix Seed and Red Bean Porridge
【Ingredients】
50g Coix seeds, 60g red beans, 20g fox nuts, 10g goji berries.
【Method】
1. Wash all ingredients; soak red beans and Coix seeds for about 2 hours beforehand;
2. Place all ingredients in a stewing pot, add appropriate water to cook into porridge;
3. You can also add rock sugar or brown sugar according to personal taste.
【Efficacy】
Red bean and Coix seed porridge is an excellent food for dampness removal. Red beans can strengthen the spleen and benefit the stomach, promote urination and reduce swelling; Coix seeds can strengthen the spleen, remove dampness, and promote urination. Eating them together enhances the effect of dampness removal. Note: Coix seeds should be fried until yellow to enhance the spleen-strengthening and dampness-removing effects, and it is best not to add rice, as it is not conducive to dampness removal.
02
Coix Seed and Yam Porridge
【Ingredients】
50g yam, 50g Coix seeds, 20g lotus seeds, 10 red dates, 60g millet.
【Method】
1. Cut yam into small pieces, remove the core from lotus seeds, and pit the red dates;
2. Wash clean; soak red beans and Coix seeds for about 2 hours beforehand;
3. Place all ingredients in a pot, add appropriate water to cook into porridge;
4. You can also add rock sugar or brown sugar according to personal taste.
【Efficacy】
Strengthens the spleen and drains dampness, nourishes the lungs and kidneys. Commonly used for symptoms such as indigestion, diarrhea, general weakness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. It can also be used for the recovery of those who have been ill for a long time.
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