This means applying a strong heat to make materials brown on the outside and yellowish on the inside. Niubangzi (Arctii Fructus) and Zisuzi (Perillae Fructus) are stir-fried in this way; this makes their active ingredients more readily soluble in decoction. Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus) is scorch-fried to reduce its food-dispersing effect and enhance its spleen-fortifying effect. These processes also make materials easier to crush or grind.

Char-frying

This is a method of stir-frying until the outer surface of the materials is black and charred and the inside is browned. The materials are doused with water after heating in order to prevent further burning. This process is also referred to as “nature-preservative burning.” it is seen in medicinals such as Aiye (Artemisiae Argyi Folium). Diyu (Sanguisorbae Radix). Char-frying moderates the harshness of medicinals, reduces side effects or increases their astringent or blood-stanching action. 

Mix-frying

Mix-frying is stir-frying medicinals with a liquid adjuvant that soaks into them to either increase their effectiveness or to reduce their side effects. Adjuvant agents include honey, wine, vinegar, ginger juice and brine.

Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) and Huangqi (Astragali Radix) are mix-fried with honey to increase their center supplementing qi boosting effect. Xiangfu (Cyperi Rhizoma) is mix-fried with vinegar to increase its ability to course the liver and relieve pain. Baibu (Stemonae Rasix) and Kuandonghua (Farfarae Flos) are mix-fired with honey to increase their effect of moistening the lung and relieving cough.

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