Author
Bowtie Team
Updated on
2025-08-05
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Chuanbei (Fritillaria Cirrhosa) is a lily family herb renowned for easing coughs. But it’s not for everyone! In this guide, our expert Chinese medicine practitioner breaks down its benefits, potential side effects, ideal users, and the best ways to consume it—complete with tasty recipe ideas.
What is Chuanbei?
Chuanbei comes from the lily family, specifically the dried bulbs of Fritillaria cirrhosa, Fritillaria unibracteata, Fritillaria przewalskii, or Fritillaria delavayi. Its main components include fritimine and sipeimine. It grows in high-altitude shrub meadows or fir forests, distributed in southern Gansu, southern Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet; the herb is mainly produced in Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions.
Chuanbei Benefits and Effects
- Clears heat and moistens lungs: Treats chronic cough from lung deficiency, cough from exhaustion, and dry heat cough.
- Resolves phlegm and stops cough: Treats cough with dry heat and phlegm, and chronic cough from exhaustion.
- Disperses nodules and reduces swelling: Treats lung abscess, scrofula, carbuncles, and breast abscess.
What’s Chuanbei Loquat Syrup For? Any Eating Taboos?
Commercial loquat syrup mainly contains platycodon, adenophora, chuanbei, loquat leaves, polygala, coltsfoot flower, pinellia, poria, mint, honey, and other ingredients. It promotes saliva production, stops cough, and moistens dryness. It’s not suitable for early-stage cold cough or cold cough with damp phlegm . Chuanbei loquat syrup is a type of Chinese medicine; those allergic to its ingredients should avoid it. Also, pregnant women , breastfeeding mothers , and children should consult a doctor before consuming.
Who Should Consume Chuanbei?
People with cough producing yellow phlegm, thick sputum, frequent coughing often accompanied by inflammation, or dry heat cough are suitable for consuming chuanbei.
Chuanbei Side Effects & Precautions
Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children should consult a doctor before consuming. There’s also a saying that beimu counters aconite; large doses may cause numbness or poisoning symptoms, so be cautious before eating.
Who or When Should Avoid It?
Those with spleen-stomach deficiency cold, prone to bloating or poor appetite, cold cough, or allergy to chuanbei should not take it.
Proper Ways to Consume Chuanbei
The appropriate serving size for chuanbei is 3 to 10 g per time .
Recipe Suggestions
1. Steamed Chuanbei Pear
【Ingredients】1 snow pear, 5g chuanbei, appropriate amount of rock sugar
【Method】Wash and peel the pear, cut it open, remove the core to make a pear cup; place chuanbei and rock sugar inside the pear cup, cover with the pear lid, secure with a toothpick; put the pear in a bowl, add water, steam over water for 30 minutes, then consume when cooled to a suitable temperature.
【Benefits】Resolves phlegm and stops cough, clears heat and disperses nodules, nourishes yin and clears lungs
2. Chuanbei Crocodile Meat Soup
【Benefits】Strengthens spleen and benefits lungs, stops cough and resolves phlegm
【Ingredients】300g lean pork, 50g dried crocodile meat, 5g cordyceps flower, 10 chuanbei bulbs, 4 figs, 12g each of southern and northern almonds, 6g tangerine peel, 3 slices ginger, a pinch of salt
【Method】Blanch the lean pork; slice the ginger; soak tangerine peel and remove the white pith; wash southern and northern almonds, figs, chuanbei, etc., with water and set aside; wash dried crocodile meat and soak. Wash cordyceps flower and soak for about 5 minutes. Put all ingredients into a pot, bring water to boil, add all materials, simmer for 1.5 hours, then season with salt and serve.
【Suitable For】People with sensitive airways, chronic cough, or dry cough.
【Precautions】Gout sufferers should consume with caution.
3. Chuanbei Tangerine Peel Water
【Ingredients】 Tangerine Peel 1 piece, 1 snow pear, 10 chuanbei bulbs, appropriate amount of rock sugar
【Method】Cut the pear into pieces with skin and core, soak tangerine peel and remove white pith; add 700ml water to a pot, bring to boil, add tangerine peel, pear skin, and core, cook for 15 minutes, skim foam, add chuanbei, simmer on low for 20 minutes until water halves, strain; add pear flesh and rock sugar, boil on high, then simmer on low for 20 minutes until sugar melts, consume when cooled.
【Benefits】Regulates qi, resolves phlegm, moistens lungs
4. Steamed Chuanbei
【Ingredients】10g chuanbei, a little rock sugar
【Method】Place chuanbei powder in a steaming cup, add rock sugar and water. Steam over water for 1 hour, consume when cooled to a suitable temperature.
【Benefits】Clears heat and moistens lungs, resolves phlegm and stops cough.
5. Chuanbei Soup
【Benefits】Clears heat, resolves phlegm, moistens lungs
【Ingredients】6g chuanbei, 1 snow pear, 3 figs, 12g each of southern and northern almonds, 3 honey dates, 6g tangerine peel
【Method】Soak tangerine peel and remove white pith; soak other ingredients for half an hour then wash; cut figs in half; blanch lean pork and set aside, add to pot with other ingredients, bring to boil, simmer on low for 1.5 hours, season with salt and serve.
【Suitable For】People with hot cough or dry cough.
【Precautions】Pregnant and breastfeeding women should use with caution.
How to Choose Chuanbei?
Generally speaking, you can select Chuanbei based on the following criteria:
- Size : High-quality Chuanbei has uniform size and plump granules.
- Color : High-quality Chuanbei is slightly yellowish-white and should not be overly white.
- Aroma : High-quality Chuanbei has a faint fresh fragrance, while inferior ones have a pungent sour smell.
- Packaging : Since Fritillaria contains a lot of starch, it’s prone to mold, insect infestation, and discoloration, so it’s best to buy products in smaller packages.
Common Questions
When should you not eat Chuanbei stewed pear?
Patients with cold cough are not suitable to consume Chuanbei stewed pear.
What’s the difference between Pingbei Mu and Chuanbei Mu?
Pingbei Mu and Chuanbei Mu are basically not much different, but Chuanbei Mu can also dissipate nodules and reduce swelling. The table below summarizes their characteristics:
| Pingbei Mu | Chuanbei Mu | |
| Nature, Flavor, and Meridian Tropism | Pungent and bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature. | Sweet and bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature. |
| Effects | Clearing heat and moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm and relieving cough. | Clearing heat and moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, dissipating nodules and reducing swelling. |
| Indications | Lung heat dry cough, dry cough with little phlegm, yin deficiency consumptive cough, cough with blood-streaked sputum. | Lung deficiency chronic cough, consumptive cough due to deficiency, dry heat cough, lung abscess, scrofula, carbuncles and swellings, breast abscess . |
How much does Chuanbei cost approximately?
Generally speaking, per tael of Chuanbei costs HK$350 to HK$420.
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