Aged tangerine peel (chen pi)
Citrus reticulata · 陈皮
Herbs & Roots. Chinese Medicine.
Also called Chen pi, Dried tangerine peel, Mandarin peel
Pinyin: Chén Pí
Spanish: Piel de mandarina
Dried, aged mandarin peel used in Chinese medicine to ease bloating and phlegm, and sold as a tea.
Did you know? Some chen pi is aged for years, and well-aged peel can sell for high prices.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Digestion & gut health. Used for bloating, fullness, and poor digestion in tradition. Human trials are lacking.Traditional proof
- Breathing & asthma. Used to clear phlegm and ease cough in tradition. Few human trials.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Chinese medicine uses aged tangerine peel to move qi, ease bloating and nausea, and clear phlegm from the chest. It is in many digestive and cough formulas.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Carminative, Expectorant, Bitter. Energy: warming.
- Chinese medicine
- 陈皮 Regulate Qi. Nature: warm. Flavour: pungent, bitter. Enters the Spleen and Lung channels.
How people take it
Decoctions often use about 3 to 9 grams. Peel is also used as a seasoning in cooking and as a tea.
Tea, decoction, powder and food.
Where to get it
Made from the dried peel of mandarin-type citrus fruit, mainly grown in southern China. Sold as dried peel strips, powder, and capsules, and in tea shops and grocery stores.
Be careful
Generally safe in food and tea amounts. Concentrated extracts are less well studied. People with a citrus allergy should avoid it.
Avoid if: citrus allergy.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Ping Wei San (Balance the Stomach Powder) pairs magnolia bark with aged tangerine peel for bloating and damp feelings in the belly.
- Works well together
Paired with pinellia in Er Chen Tang (Two-Aged Decoction) to clear phlegm.
- Works well together
Paired with poria in Er Chen Tang, a classic phlegm formula.
Found in these formulas
Digestive bitters (Western)
The honest take
Chen pi is a common, food-like herb with a long history. Human trials for digestion or cough are few, and most of the proof is tradition. It is low risk in food and tea amounts.