Dried Ginger
干姜 · Gānjiāng
Zingiber officinale
Family: Zingiberaceae · Part used: Rhizome (dried) · Origin: Qianwei, Sichuan, China
Nature
Hot
Flavor
Pungent
Meridian
Spleen, Stomach, Kidney, Lung
Where fresh ginger disperses at the surface, dried ginger warms the interior's core — the fire-stoker of the middle burner. Sichuan's Qianwei 'jian jiang' has been the canonical grade for centuries. It rescues yang in collapse, warms the lungs to transform cold-phlegm, and damps the damp-cold diarrhea of winter.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Warms the middle and dispels interior cold
- •Rescues yang and revives the pulse
- •Warms the lung and transforms cold-phlegm
- •Stops bleeding from cold (charred)
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Cold abdominal pain and vomiting
- •Cold-type diarrhea
- •Cough with thin white sputum
- •Cold limbs and weak pulse
- •Poor circulation from yang deficiency
📖 Usage & Dosage
3–10 g in decoction; a few slices in winter soups and congee for daily warmth.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Gan Jiang Hong Zao Tea
Dried ginger 5 g + red dates 6 pcs + brown sugar — the winter-warming breakfast tea.
Li Zhong Tang Base
Dried ginger + codonopsis + bai zhu + licorice — the classical middle-warmer rescue formula.
🔬 Modern Research
Gingerols and shogaols are among the most studied digestive botanicals, with clinical evidence for nausea relief, thermogenesis, and gastrointestinal motility.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid in yin-deficiency heat, blood-heat bleeding, and hot conditions generally.
