Hú Jiāo (胡椒), known in English as Black pepper (Piper nigrum), is a hot, acrid Chinese herb from the Warm interior category. It enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels. Its main action: warms Middle Jiao, disperses Cold.
| Pinyin | Hú Jiāo (Hu Jiao) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 胡椒 |
| English | Black pepper |
| Botanical name | Piper nigrum |
| Category | Warm interior |
| Nature | Hot |
| Flavour | Acrid |
| Channels | Stomach, Large Intestine |
| Dosage | 0.6–1.5g (taken as powder) |
| Cautions | Yin deficiency with Heat |
Actions
- Warms Middle Jiao, disperses Cold
- Directs qi downward, dissolves Phlegm
Indications
- Vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea from Stomach Cold
- Poor appetite
- Epilepsy with copious Phlegm
How to remember Hú Jiāo
Warm interior herbs are mostly warm or hot and acrid, and most enter the Stomach, Spleen and Kidney channels.
- You can work these out
- Hot, Acrid: like most Warm interior herbs
- Stomach channel: from its use for “Vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea from Stomach Cold”
- Learn by heart
- Large Intestine channel: nothing in its group or its actions points to it
Other Warm interior herbs
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Hú Jiāo?
Hú Jiāo is hot and acrid.
Which channels does Hú Jiāo enter?
Hú Jiāo enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels.
What are the actions of Hú Jiāo?
Warms Middle Jiao, disperses Cold; Directs qi downward, dissolves Phlegm.
What is Hú Jiāo used for?
Vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea from Stomach Cold; poor appetite; epilepsy with copious Phlegm.
Practise Hú Jiāo and the other 290 herbs
Recognise each herb from its picture, recall its nature, flavour, channels and actions, and review it again just before you would forget it.
Try the 5-question herb quizShen Study is a study tool. Doses and cautions are as taught in standard Chinese materia medica texts; they are not prescribing advice.