Lü Cao (Humulus scandens) — Dried Food Herb, Whole Vine for Tea & Decoction

Lü Cao (Humulus scandens), also known as Japanese Hop, is the dried aerial vine of a traditional food herb known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Lǜ Cǎo (葎草). Long recognized in folk practice under vivid regional names such as Lā Lā Yāng (拉拉秧) and Gē Rén Téng (割人藤), it has been prized as a cooling, damp-clearing herb used to support the body during warm and humid seasons. Its nature is sweet, bitter, and cold, making it a gentle yet clarifying herb traditionally associated with clearing heat, resolving dampness, and supporting smooth fluid metabolism.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional heat-clearing food herb
• Dried Humulus scandens vine
• Known in folk practice as Lā Lā Yāng
• Suitable for tea, decoction, and soup
• 500g value pack, new-crop quality

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is carefully harvested and shade-dried to preserve its deep green color, soft leafy texture, and fresh grassy aroma. When decocted, the vine yields a light golden-green infusion with a mild, slightly bitter herbal taste and a clean, cooling finish that blends well with other gentle herbs.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Herbal tea and daily infusion
• Traditional decoction blends
• Seasonal summer soup ingredient
• Folk herbal foot soak
• Herbal bath preparation

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Lü Cao is decocted into cooling teas and summer soups to support the body during hot, humid weather. It is often brewed alone as a light daily infusion or blended with ingredients like honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and mint. In rural traditions, the vine is also simmered for herbal foot soaks and bath preparations, placing this humble roadside herb back into everyday seasonal wellness.

FAQ Q&A