Xiao Hui Xiang (小茴香) — Fennel
Xiao Hui Xiang — fennel fruit — is the classical Chinese herb for cold-type hernia and lower-burner cold. Familiar as a culinary spice, it warms and moves Qi in the Liver and Kidney channels, easing testicular pain, hernia and cold-type period pain.
On this page
- Overview
- Properties
- Actions and indications
- Dosage
- Cautions and incompatibilities
- Key formulas
- Treatment at my clinic
1. Overview
Xiao Hui Xiang (小茴香) — Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare (fennel fruit)) — is a Chinese herb in the Warm the Interior category. I prescribe it as part of bespoke pharmaceutical-grade granule formulas from Sun Ten in Taiwan at my clinic in Wokingham, Berkshire and via online herbal consultations.
2. Properties
| Pinyin name | Xiao Hui Xiang |
|---|---|
| Chinese characters | 小茴香 |
| Latin name | Foeniculum vulgare (fennel fruit) |
| English name | Fennel |
| Nature | Warm |
| Flavour | Acrid |
| Channels entered | Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Stomach |
| Category | Warm the Interior |
3. Actions and indications
Principal actions
- Warms the Liver and disperses Cold
- Regulates Qi in the Middle
- Harmonises the Stomach
Indications
- Cold hernia with testicular pain
- Cold-type dysmenorrhoea
- Cold-Stomach vomiting and epigastric pain
- Cold appetite loss
4. Dosage
3–9g
5. Cautions and incompatibilities
- Contraindicated in Yin-deficient patterns with internal Heat
- Not for damp-heat patterns
6. Key formulas
7. Treatment at my clinic
I prescribe Xiao Hui Xiang where its indications and TCM pattern match the patient’s presentation, always as part of a tailored formula. Return to the Chinese herbs directory or the Chinese herbal medicine main page.
