Poria cocos was first recorded in Shennong's Materia Medica Classic and listed as the top grade, saying that it "governs chest obstruction, threatens qi ... and helps to urinate." It is necessary to soothe the soul and nourish the spirit for a long time, and don't starve for a long time. "
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, eating Poria cocos became a common practice. According to the Biography of Liang Shu and Tao Hongjing, when Tao Hongjing resigned and retired, Liang Wudi ordered "five kilograms of poria cocos and two liters of white honey as bait every month."
Poria cocos is sweet and light in taste, which is beneficial to water infiltration, spleen strengthening and heart calming. Commonly used for edema, oliguria, dizziness due to excessive phlegm, anorexia due to spleen deficiency, loose stool's diarrhea, anxiety, palpitation, insomnia and other symptoms.
Su Zhe, a famous writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, was very weak when he was young, and his illness continued. Although he sought medical treatment everywhere, it had little effect. Entering the age of 30, I feel flustered, short of breath and dizzy all day, and my health is getting worse every year.
Later, Su Zhe simply found a medical book and began to teach himself. After all, he is smart, eager to learn, and has a clear understanding of the sexual and taste functions of hundreds of Chinese herbal medicines in Shennong Herbal Classic without much effort.
He found that Poria cocos was very peaceful, and it was said in Shennong Benge Jing that "taking it for a long time can soothe the nerves and prolong life", which was just right for his illness. So he bought some poria cocos and insisted on taking it every day.
Sure enough, in less than a year, the old ills magically disappeared and the body became stronger day by day. Later, he also wrote this experience into his own article, recommending people to use poria cocos to cure diseases and prolong life.
"Liu Zongyuan Collection" records that one day Liu Zongyuan suddenly fell ill and his abdomen was swollen and uncomfortable, so he went to see a doctor for treatment. The doctor diagnosed that Poria cocos can cure diseases. Liu Zongyuan bought medicine from the street to go home. After taking the medicine, his condition not only didn't abate, but worsened.
Liu Zongyuan sent for a doctor and asked him why. After hearing this, the doctor asked to see the residue and found that it was the old taro cooked by him. It turned out that the drug seller cheated Liu Zongyuan with fake drugs, so Liu Zongyuan wrote an article entitled "Discrimination and Text" to defend the fake and shoddy Poria cocos, affirming the efficacy of Poria cocos and warning the world to avoid being fooled.
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It is said that in order to improve health and prolong life, Empress Dowager Cixi adopted the doctor's advice too much, and ordered the chef to make "Poria Cake" with refined white flour and Poria powder for dinner, and often rewarded the minister with it.
Fuling cake, because of its rich fragrance and the efficacy of eliminating diseases and prolonging life, became a famous palace spot in Qing Dynasty, which made Fuling cake popular all over the world and became a famous food in Kyoto, and has enjoyed a high reputation so far.