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A delicious Chinese herb in season and ready to eat now
It nourishes the Yin of Liver and Kidney, especially enriching Liver Blood; it's deep purple/black whose juice blood-reddens your fingers when you pick it.
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Ripe Mulberry, Sang Shen Zi, Fructus Mori
It's here for the plucking right now in South Africa. In some Chinese herbal formulas it is used for those who complain of premature greying of hair.
Cooling and replenishing for those who get tired in the afternoons, it moistens the bowels in formulas for those who have dry constipation due to Yin Deficiency. Sang Ye replenishes the Yin of those with "Wasting and Thirsting Syndrome", diabetes due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency (Yes, there are many different Patterns of diabetes and they all need different treatment).
As such the mulberry is not for those with loose stools due to Spleen or Yang Deficiency.
Like all vegetable matter it is best cooked: without cooking, the cell walls of the plant matter will not break down well in your stomach and you will not get the proper benefit of this delicious fruit. (Note the same applies to Gou Qi Zi, Fructus Lycii). Have mulberry stewed as a dessert, or as a dressing for desserts. Or make it into tarts to take with Sunday afternoon tea. Or make yourself a long drink from the juice of the cooked berries. Sweeten with rice syrup and be happy without sugar!
If you have a large stock of mulberries in your garden, and can dry them well in the sun, you might consider offering some for sale by the kilo to me; I have plenty of stock right now, but can always run out of it.
Mulberry leaves, Sang Ye, Folium Mori
The leaves of the mulberry tree have a completely different action from the fruit.
Sang Ye, mulberry leaves, are picked at two times of the year:
- late autumn to early winter, after the first frost
- right now, in Spring
When picked now, is Spring, the action of Sang Ye is stronger on the Liver and eyes. This is why it is commonly incorporated in formulas to treat Wind Heat or Liver Heat affecting the eyes. These types of eye issue are very common at this moment in Cape Town: many of my patients have requested help for their conjunctivitis, or allergic rhinitis / harfever with itchy, sore or runny eyes.
For proper treatment you do need to have a properly calculated formula for your own self. It's always worthwhile, though, to make yourself a tissane out of mulberry leaves to try to relieve your eyes. If it doesn't work well enough, then you know you should consult a good Chinese herbalist.
If you collect your leaves and dry them in the sun, again I will be happy to buy some from you. Many of my patients will be happy to be treated with formulas containing your mulberry leaves.
I wish you comfortable eyes this Spring and Summer!