Herb Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

Hu Sui

Coriander herb · 胡荽

Coriandrum sativum L. · Herba Coriandri

Also known as: Yuan Sui (芫荽), Xiang Cai (香菜, Chinese Parsley)

Hu Sui (Coriander herb) plant

Images shown are for educational purposes only

Coriander (cilantro) is a common culinary herb that doubles as a gentle medicine in Chinese medicine. It is best known for helping bring out skin rashes (like measles) that are slow to surface, and for easing poor appetite and sluggish digestion. Its warm, pungent nature also makes it useful in the early stages of colds with chills.

Category Warm, acrid herbs that release the Exterior (辛温解表药)
Therapeutic focus Digestive Health Cold and Flu Relief Children's Health Appetite Support

TCM Properties

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)

Channels entered

Lungs, Stomach

Parts used

Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment

What This Herb Does

Every herb has a specific set of actions — here's what Hu Sui does in the body, explained in both everyday and TCM terms

Therapeutic focus

In practical terms, Hu Sui is primarily used to support these areas of health:

Digestive Health Cold and Flu Relief Children's Health Appetite Support

TCM Actions

In TCM terminology, these are the specific therapeutic actions that Hu Sui performs to restore balance in the body:

Vents Rashes Resolves Food Stagnation and Transforms Accumulations Disperses Wind-Cold from the Exterior Awakens the Spleen and Harmonizes the Stomach

How these actions work

'Promotes sweating and vents rashes' is the primary action of Hú Suī. Its warm, pungent nature drives pathogens outward through the skin by opening the pores and encouraging a mild sweat. This is particularly important when a child has measles (or similar eruptive diseases) and the rash is not coming out fully. In TCM, an incomplete eruption means the pathogen is trapped inside the body, which can worsen the illness. Hú Suī's aromatic, scattering quality helps push the rash to the surface so the disease can resolve. It can be taken internally or used as an external wash.

'Promotes digestion and directs Qi downward' reflects the herb's effect on the Stomach. Its aromatic warmth stimulates appetite and helps move stagnant food through the digestive tract. This is why coriander is widely used as a culinary herb across many cultures. In TCM terms, it warms the Spleen and Stomach, counteracting sluggish digestion especially in people with a cold constitution or weak appetite.

'Disperses Wind-Cold from the exterior' means the herb can help with the early stages of a common cold caused by exposure to cold and wind, where there is mild fever, chills, and absence of sweating. Its warm, pungent nature opens the body's surface and pushes the invading cold outward.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony. Hu Sui is used to help correct these specific patterns.

Why Hu Sui addresses this pattern

When Wind-Cold invades the body's exterior, the pores close and sweating cannot occur, trapping the pathogen under the skin. Hú Suī's warm, pungent nature disperses Wind-Cold by opening the pores and promoting a gentle sweat. Its aromatic quality also helps it reach the body's surface quickly. This makes it suited for mild exterior Wind-Cold patterns, especially in children or when a stronger diaphoretic (sweat-inducing herb) would be too harsh.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Chills

Chills with mild fever

Absence of Sweating

No sweating despite feeling cold

Nasal Congestion

Stuffy or runny nose with clear discharge

Headaches

Headache from Wind-Cold

Commonly Used For

These are conditions where Hu Sui is frequently used — but only when they arise from the specific patterns it addresses, not in all cases

Arises from: Wind-Cold

TCM Interpretation

In TCM, measles is understood as a toxic Heat lodged in the body that needs to be expressed outward through the skin. The rash itself is the body's mechanism for expelling this toxic pathogen. When the rash fails to emerge fully, it typically means that Wind-Cold is constraining the body's exterior, preventing the toxin from reaching the surface. The Lung governs the skin and pores, so treatments focus on opening the Lung's dispersing function and clearing the pathway for the rash to come out.

Why Hu Sui Helps

Hú Suī enters the Lung channel and has a warm, pungent, aromatic nature that is particularly well-suited to opening the body's surface. Its classical description states it can 'reach the four limbs from within' and 'dispel all irregular Qi.' By gently promoting sweating and opening the pores, it helps the measles rash fully emerge. Importantly, it is mild enough for use in children, and can be applied both internally (as a decoction) and externally (as a warm wash over the body, avoiding the face). Once the rash has fully surfaced, Hú Suī should be discontinued.

Also commonly used for

Common Cold

Early-stage Wind-Cold type with chills and no sweating

Loss Of Appetite

Due to Stomach cold or Qi stagnation

Nausea

From food stagnation or cold in the Stomach

Herb Properties

Every herb has an inherent temperature, taste, and affinity for specific channels — these properties determine how it interacts with the body

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)

Channels Entered

Lungs Stomach

Parts Used

Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

Dosage & Preparation

These are general dosage guidelines for Hu Sui — always follow your practitioner's recommendation, as dosages vary based on the formula and your individual condition

Standard dosage

3-10g (dried herb in decoction); fresh herb 15-30g

Maximum dosage

Fresh herb up to 30-60g for external wash preparations; internal decoction generally should not exceed 10g dried herb. Prolonged daily use at high doses is discouraged as classical texts warn it depletes Qi and Blood.

Dosage notes

For promoting measles eruption in children: 3-6g dried herb internally, or 30-150g fresh herb decocted for external washing of the body (avoid the head and face). For digestive support and appetite stimulation: 3-6g in decoction, or used freely as a fresh culinary garnish. The seeds (Hu Sui Zi) are typically used at 6-10g in decoction. For external use to promote rash eruption, the herb is often decocted with wine and the steam or liquid applied to the body from the neck down. Excessive internal consumption should be avoided as it is said to impair memory and deplete vital substances over time.

Preparation

For external use in promoting rash eruption: decoct fresh herb in wine, cover tightly to retain the aromatic volatile oils, allow to cool, then use the liquid to gently spray or wipe the child's body from neck to feet (avoid the head and face). Alternatively, the decoction steam can be used for fumigation. For internal decoction, add near the end of cooking (hou xia / 后下, last 5 minutes) to preserve the volatile aromatic compounds that are essential to its dispersing action.

Common Herb Pairs

These ingredients are traditionally combined with Hu Sui for enhanced therapeutic effect

Xi
Xi He Liu 1:1 (Hú Suī 6g : Xī Hé Liǔ 6g)

Both herbs specialize in venting rashes (透疹). Hú Suī is warm and pungent, opening the exterior through its aromatic scattering quality, while Xī Hé Liǔ (Tamarisk twig) is sweeter and more neutral, helping to vent Heat-toxin from the skin. Together they address both the Wind-Cold constraint on the surface and the internal toxic Heat that needs to be expressed, making rash eruption more complete and thorough.

When to use: Measles or other eruptive skin diseases in children where the rash is slow to surface or incompletely erupted.

Fu Ling
Fu Ling 1:1 (Hú Suī 6g : Fú Píng 6g)

Hú Suī warms the exterior and disperses Wind-Cold from the skin, while Fú Píng (Duckweed) is cool and light, promoting sweating and venting rashes while also clearing some Heat. The pair provides a balanced approach: Hú Suī opens the pores from the warm side while Fú Píng clears Heat and lightens the body's surface, together achieving more effective rash eruption.

When to use: Incomplete eruption of measles or similar rashes, especially where there is some underlying Heat alongside exterior Cold constraint.

Zi Su Ye
Zi Su Ye 1:2 (Hú Suī 3g : Zǐ Sū Yè 6g)

Both are warm, pungent exterior-releasing herbs. Zǐ Sū Yè (Perilla leaf) strongly disperses Wind-Cold and also harmonizes the middle burner and resolves Qi stagnation. Combined with Hú Suī, the pair strengthens the ability to release the exterior while also addressing any concurrent digestive discomfort such as nausea or bloating from stomach cold.

When to use: Early-stage Wind-Cold common cold with accompanying nausea, poor appetite, or digestive discomfort.

Comparable Ingredients

These ingredients have overlapping uses — here's how to tell them apart

Xi
Hu Sui vs Xi He Liu

Both Hú Suī and Xī Hé Liǔ (Tamarisk twig) are primarily used to vent rashes (透疹) and are often paired together for this purpose. However, Hú Suī is warm and more aromatic, making it better at opening the pores and dispersing Wind-Cold that is trapping the rash. Xī Hé Liǔ has a sweeter, milder nature and is better at venting Heat-related rashes. Hú Suī also has digestive benefits that Xī Hé Liǔ lacks.

Jing Jie
Hu Sui vs Jing Jie

Both are warm, pungent herbs that release the exterior and can help vent rashes. However, Jīng Jiè (Schizonepeta) is a much stronger and more broadly used Wind-dispersing herb, effective for both Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat, and also stops bleeding when charred. Hú Suī is milder and more specific for venting incomplete rash eruptions, with an additional role in stimulating appetite. Jīng Jiè would be chosen for a more significant exterior syndrome.

Ge Gen
Hu Sui vs Ge Gen

Gě Gēn (Kudzu root) also vents rashes and releases the exterior, but it is cool and sweet rather than warm and pungent. Gě Gēn is preferred when there is Heat and thirst accompanying the incomplete rash, and it also generates fluids and raises Yáng. Hú Suī is preferred when external Cold is the primary factor preventing rash eruption, and when digestion is also sluggish.

Common Substitutes & Adulterants

Related species and common adulterations to be aware of when sourcing Hu Sui

As a widely available and inexpensive culinary herb, Hu Sui is rarely subject to deliberate adulteration. However, it should be distinguished from several similarly named but botanically distinct herbs: - Shi Hu Sui (石胡荽, Centipeda minima) is a completely different plant with different properties (clears nasal passages, anti-parasitic). Despite sharing part of the name, it is not interchangeable. - Tian Hu Sui (天胡荽, Hydrocotyle sibthorpiifolia) is another distinct herb sometimes confused by name. - Flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum) closely resembles cilantro in leaf shape and is occasionally mistaken for it in markets, but lacks cilantro's characteristic strong pungent aroma and has different medicinal properties.

Educational content — always consult a qualified healthcare provider or TCM practitioner before using any herb.

Toxicity Classification

Classical Chinese pharmacopoeia toxicity rating for Hu Sui

Slightly toxic

Classical sources including the Ben Cao Gang Mu classify the root and leaf as slightly toxic (微毒), while the seeds are considered non-toxic. The slight toxicity is generally considered clinically insignificant at standard dosages and refers mainly to the herb's strong dispersing, Qi-consuming nature rather than any chemical poison. Excessive or prolonged consumption is said to deplete Qi and Blood, impair memory, and aggravate existing body odour or oral conditions. Modern toxicology studies on Coriandrum sativum have found an extremely high LD50 (greater than 1000 mg/mL for methanolic extract in animal studies), confirming its general safety as a food-grade herb. One case report from Iran described endocrine disruption in a woman who consumed approximately 200 mL of 10% leaf extract daily for seven consecutive days, suggesting that large concentrated doses should be avoided.

Contraindications

Situations where Hu Sui should not be used or requires extra caution

Avoid

Rashes or measles that have already fully erupted (the herb's dispersing action is no longer needed and may cause further harm by over-dispersing).

Avoid

Rash eruptions caused by internal Heat-toxin accumulation rather than external Wind-Cold constraint. The herb's warm, dispersing nature can worsen Heat conditions.

Caution

Qi deficiency. Excessive consumption depletes Qi and Blood. Those who are constitutionally weak should use cautiously and in small amounts.

Caution

Gastric or duodenal ulcers. The herb's acrid, warming nature can irritate the stomach lining and worsen ulcer conditions.

Caution

Chronic skin conditions, eye diseases, or body odour problems. Classical sources note these may be aggravated by the herb's dispersing, warm properties.

Caution

Open wounds or sores (jin chuang). Classical texts specifically warn against use in patients with open injuries.

Caution

Conditions with strong robust Heat in children during warm seasons. Li Shizhen warned that using the herb in strong, healthy children during spring or summer warmth could cause internal Heat to intensify, potentially worsening the condition.

Special Populations

Important considerations for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pediatric use

Pregnancy

No specific prohibition exists in classical texts regarding pregnancy use. The Ben Cao Gang Mu records that dried Hu Sui decoction was traditionally used to promote lactation postpartum. However, the herb's acrid, warm, dispersing nature and its traditional classification as slightly toxic suggest caution during pregnancy. Its strong Qi-moving and outward-dispersing properties could theoretically disturb the fetus. Pregnant women should avoid medicinal doses and limit intake to small culinary amounts only. Consult a qualified practitioner before any therapeutic use during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

Classical texts actually recommend dried Hu Sui decoction to promote milk production postpartum. At standard culinary and medicinal doses, it is generally considered compatible with breastfeeding. No specific adverse effects on nursing infants have been documented. However, the herb's aromatic volatile oils may transfer into breast milk and could potentially affect the flavour, so moderate use is advisable.

Children

Hu Sui has a long history of paediatric use, specifically to help promote the eruption of measles rashes in children. Classical sources recommend external use (washing the body with a decoction, avoiding the head and face) for children with incomplete rash eruption. Internal doses for children should be proportionally reduced based on age and body weight. Li Shizhen specifically cautioned that the herb should only be used for weak children or in cold weather conditions; it should not be given to robust, healthy children during warm seasons, as the warming effect could cause dangerous internal Heat buildup.

Drug Interactions

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, be aware of these potential interactions with Hu Sui

No well-documented pharmacological drug interactions have been established in clinical literature for Hu Sui at standard culinary or medicinal doses. However, based on known phytochemical properties, the following theoretical considerations apply:

  • Anticoagulant/antiplatelet medications: Coriander contains vitamin K and coumarins. While the amounts are small at typical doses, patients on warfarin or similar drugs should maintain consistent intake rather than making sudden large changes in consumption.
  • Antidiabetic medications: Preclinical studies suggest coriander seeds may have hypoglycaemic effects. Concurrent use with insulin or oral hypoglycaemics could theoretically potentiate blood sugar lowering, though this has not been confirmed clinically at normal dietary doses.
  • Antihypertensive medications: Preclinical evidence suggests mild blood pressure-lowering effects. Patients on antihypertensive drugs should be aware of potential additive effects if consuming large medicinal doses.
  • Sedative and anticonvulsant medications: The identification of dodecenal as a potent KCNQ channel activator suggests theoretical interaction potential with anticonvulsant drugs acting on the same channels, though no clinical interactions have been reported.

Dietary Advice

Foods and dietary considerations when taking Hu Sui

Hu Sui is itself a common food item, so no special dietary restrictions apply when using it medicinally. When using it to promote rash eruption or release the exterior, avoid cold, raw foods and iced drinks that could obstruct the outward movement of pathogenic factors. Greasy, heavy foods should also be minimized during external pathogen conditions. Since the herb is warming and dispersing, those with underlying Yin deficiency or internal Heat should keep intake moderate and balance it with cooling foods.

Botanical Description

Physical characteristics and morphology of the Hu Sui source plant

Hu Sui (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. It grows 30 to 100 cm tall with erect, hollow, cylindrical stems that branch freely and bear fine longitudinal grooves. The lower leaves are pinnately divided with broad, rounded lobes resembling flat parsley, while the upper leaves are finely dissected into narrow, thread-like segments. The entire plant exudes a distinctive pungent aroma.

Small white or pale purple flowers appear in compound umbels from late spring through summer, giving way to round, ribbed fruits (seeds) approximately 3 to 5 mm in diameter that mature by midsummer. The root system is slender with numerous fine lateral roots. The plant prefers cool conditions (optimal 17 to 20°C), tolerating light frost but growing poorly above 30°C. It thrives in well-drained, fertile soil with good organic content and is now cultivated worldwide.

Sourcing & Harvesting

Where Hu Sui is sourced, when it's harvested or collected, and how to assess quality

Harvesting season

Whole herb (stems and leaves) harvested in spring and summer when young and aromatic; fruits (seeds) collected in summer after ripening, typically around May to July.

Primary growing regions

Hu Sui originated in the Mediterranean and Central Asian regions and is now cultivated throughout China. Major producing areas include Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia. Northern China (particularly the North China Plain) produces the most widely used herb. India, Morocco, Egypt, Romania, and Mexico are also important global producers of coriander seed for both culinary and medicinal use. There is no single classic dao di yao cai region for this herb, as it is widely cultivated and commonly used as a kitchen vegetable rather than a premium medicinal commodity.

Quality indicators

For the whole herb: fresh Hu Sui should have bright green leaves that are intact and not wilted, with soft, thin stems and a strong, characteristic pungent aroma. Dried herb should retain its green colour and fragrance; dull, yellowed, or odourless dried material is inferior. For the seeds (Hu Sui Zi): good quality seeds are round, intact, uniformly light brown, with a pleasant warm, citrus-like aroma when crushed. They should be dry but not shrivelled or discoloured. Avoid seeds with mould, insect damage, or musty smell.

Classical Texts

Key passages from the classical Chinese medical texts that describe Hu Sui and its therapeutic uses

《本草纲目》(Ben Cao Gang Mu) — Li Shizhen

Original: 「胡荽，辛温香窜，内通心脾，外达四肢，能辟一切不正之气，故痘疮出不爽快者，能发之。」

Translation: "Hu Sui is acrid, warm, aromatic and penetrating. Internally it reaches the Heart and Spleen; externally it extends to the four limbs. It can dispel all abnormal Qi. Therefore, when pox sores are not erupting smoothly, it can promote their emergence."

《医林纂要》(Yi Lin Zuan Yao)

Original: 「芫荽，补肝，泻肺，升散，无所不达，发表如葱，但专行气分。」

Translation: "Hu Sui supplements the Liver and drains the Lung. It rises and disperses, reaching everywhere. It releases the exterior like scallion, but acts specifically through the Qi level."

《嘉祐本草》(Jia You Ben Cao)

Original: 「消谷，治五脏，补不足，利大小肠，通小腹气，拔四肢热，止头痛，疗痧疹、豌豆疮不出，作酒喷之立出，通心窍。」

Translation: "It promotes digestion, treats the five Zang organs, supplements deficiency, benefits the large and small intestines, frees Qi in the lower abdomen, draws Heat from the four limbs, stops headaches, treats measles and pox that fail to erupt — when prepared with wine and sprayed on the body they erupt immediately — and opens the Heart orifices."

《本草经疏》(Ben Cao Jing Shu)

Original: 「气虚人不宜食。疹痘出不快，非风寒外侵及秽恶之气触犯者，不宜用。」

Translation: "Those with Qi deficiency should not eat it. When rashes or pox fail to erupt, if the cause is not external Wind-Cold invasion or foul pathogenic Qi, it should not be used."

Historical Context

The history and evolution of Hu Sui's use in Chinese medicine over the centuries

The name Hu Sui (胡荽) literally means "barbarian/foreign greens," reflecting its introduction to China from Central Asia. According to the Bo Wu Zhi (博物志), it was reportedly brought back by the Han Dynasty envoy Zhang Qian after his mission to the Western Regions around the 2nd century BCE, though this attribution is debated by historians. By the time of Jia Sixie's agricultural treatise Qi Min Yao Shu (齐民要术, 6th century CE), detailed cultivation and pickling methods were already well documented, confirming it was widely grown by the Northern Wei period.

The herb acquired the alternate name Xiang Cai (香菜, "fragrant vegetable") during the Later Zhao dynasty (319–351 CE), because the ruler Shi Le — himself of non-Han origin — found the word "Hu" (barbarian) offensive and banned its use. The Daoist tradition classified it among the "five pungent vegetables" (五荤) due to its strong aromatic nature. Li Shizhen's detailed Ben Cao Gang Mu entry cautioned that while the herb was excellent for helping weak children or those exposed to cold weather bring out pox rashes, it could be dangerous if used in robust children during warm weather, as the combination of wine preparation and warm constitution could turn the eruption dark and sunken — an important early example of patient-specific contraindication thinking.

Modern Research

4 published studies investigating the pharmacological effects or clinical outcomes of Hu Sui

1

Cilantro leaf harbors a potent potassium channel-activating anticonvulsant (In vitro/In vivo mechanistic study, 2019)

Manville RW, Abbott GW. FASEB Journal, 2019, 33(10), 11349-11363.

Researchers at UC Irvine discovered that cilantro leaf extract potently activates KCNQ potassium channels in the brain. They identified (E)-2-dodecenal as the active compound, which binds to a specific site on these channels at nanomolar concentrations. In animal models, dodecenal delayed chemically induced seizures, providing a molecular explanation for cilantro's traditional use as an anticonvulsant.

DOI
2

Coriandrum sativum L.: A Review on Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Cardiovascular Benefits (Narrative review, 2022)

Aljamal JA, et al. Nutrients, 2022, 14(5), 999.

This comprehensive review surveyed the cardiovascular benefits of coriander across published literature up to 2021. The authors concluded that C. sativum demonstrates antihypertensive, anti-atherogenic, antiarrhythmic, hypolipidemic, and cardioprotective effects, though most studies were preclinical (animal models) with only limited clinical data available.

PubMed
3

Anti-granuloma activity of Coriandrum sativum in experimental models (Preclinical study, 2013)

Nair V, Singh S, Gupta YK. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2013, 4(1), 13-18.

Researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-granuloma effects of a coriander hydroalcoholic extract in rat models. The extract significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw oedema and reduced dry granuloma weight, with corresponding reductions in TNF receptor expression in peritoneal macrophages, supporting its traditional use for inflammatory conditions.

DOI
4

Morphohistometric analysis of the effects of Coriandrum sativum on cortical and cerebellar neurotoxicity (Preclinical study, 2021)

Seghatoleslam M, et al. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, 2021, 11(6), 589-598.

This animal study examined whether coriander extract could protect brain tissue from lead-induced damage. Rats given aqueous coriander extract alongside lead acetate showed significantly less structural and functional damage in the cerebellum and somatosensory cortex compared to lead-only groups, attributed to the plant's chelating and antioxidant properties.

DOI

Research on individual TCM herbs is growing but still limited by Western clinical trial standards. These studies provide emerging evidence and should be considered alongside practitioner expertise.