Honey in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Feng Mi Through History
Honey in traditional Chinese medicine has a history stretching back roughly two thousand years. Known as feng mi, honey appears in early texts on medicinal substances, is used to bind herbal powders into pills, and is roasted with some herbs in a process called mi zhi. It also features in everyday Chinese foods and drinks, from honey lemon tea to honey-glazed char siu. This article explores honey's role in TCM history, how it is used in herbal preparations, related food traditions, what modern research says and safety guidance from the NIH. It is a cultural and historical overview, not medical advice. For a related tradition, see honey in Ayurveda.
For general education only, not medical advice. Our honey is a food and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What traditional Chinese medicine is
Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, developed over thousands of years in China. The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes it as using herbal products along with practices such as acupuncture and tai chi. TCM is based on concepts like qi, yin and yang, and the balance of organ systems, which differ from modern biology.
Honey in the classic texts
Honey appears in the Shennong Bencao Jing, the Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica, compiled around the first or second century CE, which lists hundreds of substances. Later works, such as Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu from the 16th century, discuss honey in more detail. In TCM theory, honey is described as sweet and neutral in nature.
Honey pills, or mi wan
One of honey's most important roles in TCM is as a binder. Ground herbs are mixed with refined honey and rolled into pills called mi wan. Honey holds the powder together, makes the pills easier to swallow and helps them keep. Many classic formulas are made this way.
| Preparation | Role of honey |
|---|---|
| Mi wan (honey pills) | Binds powdered herbs into pills |
| Mi zhi (honey roasting) | Herbs stir-fried with honey |
| Gao (syrups and pastes) | Thickens and sweetens herbal pastes |
Honey roasting, or mi zhi
Some herbs, such as licorice root (gan cao) and astragalus, are stir-fried with honey in a process called mi zhi. In TCM theory, this changes the herb's properties. Honey-roasted licorice is one of the most common forms of licorice used in Chinese herbal formulas.
Honey in Chinese food
Outside medicine, honey is part of Chinese cooking. Char siu, Cantonese barbecued pork, is often glazed with honey. Honey lemon tea and honey citron tea (yuja-cha in Korea, also popular in China) are common drinks. Honey is stirred into warm water or soups, and honey-glazed walnuts are a popular snack.
- Honey-glazed char siu pork
- Honey lemon and citron tea
- Honey walnuts
- Pear soup with honey
Pear and honey traditions
Steamed or simmered Asian pears with honey and rock sugar are a traditional homemade remedy in many Chinese families during dry autumn weather. It is a comforting dessert-style dish. Our article on honey and pears shares a recipe from a food perspective.
What research says
The NCCIH notes that studies of Chinese herbal products are often of poor quality, so firm conclusions cannot be drawn. Honey itself has been studied in modern research for a few uses, such as cough in children over 12 months, but TCM-specific ideas about honey have not been well tested.
Safety of Chinese herbal products
The NCCIH warns that some Chinese herbal products have been contaminated with undeclared drugs, heavy metals, pesticides or the wrong herbs, which have caused serious harm. Buy only from reputable sources, tell your doctor about any herbal products you use, and do not use TCM to replace or delay medical care.
Who should be careful
Honey-roasted licorice deserves special mention: large amounts of licorice can raise blood pressure and lower potassium, so anyone with heart or kidney concerns should ask a clinician first. Expectant and breastfeeding mothers, and parents considering herbal formulas for a child, should get professional advice too. Because honey pills are mostly honey, people managing blood sugar should count them. Infants under one year should not have honey in any form, per the CDC, because of the risk of infant botulism.
Beekeeping in China
China has a long beekeeping history with the native Asian honey bee, Apis cerana, and today is the world's largest honey producer. Chinese texts on beekeeping date back many centuries. Honey from China is widely exported, and quality concerns have made traceability important for shoppers.
Choosing honey
Because some imported honey has been blended with syrups, look for a label that names the region of harvest and the producer. A spoon of raw honey in cooled jasmine or oolong tea is a simple pleasure. Browse our shop for raw, traceable jars.
Honey in Chinese festivals
Honey sweetens mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival in some regions, glazes roast meats for Lunar New Year banquets, and appears in sweet soups served to guests. In these settings, honey is about celebration and hospitality rather than medicine.
The takeaway on honey in traditional Chinese medicine
Honey in traditional Chinese medicine, feng mi, binds herbal pills, roasts herbs and appears in classic texts and foods. Its traditional uses have not been well tested, and herbal products can be contaminated. Enjoy honey as food and talk with your doctor about remedies.
Refined honey in herbal pills
For honey pills, TCM pharmacists traditionally simmer honey to remove water and impurities, producing lian mi, or refined honey, at different thickness levels for different herbs. Thicker honey binds dry, fibrous powders, while thinner honey suits oily or sticky herbs. This careful process shows how central honey in traditional Chinese medicine was to the craft of pill making.
Raw honey for your tea
Stir raw honey into cooled tea or warm water. Find a jar in our shop.
Sources
Outside health sources we used for this article. They open in a new tab.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know · NCCIH (National Institutes of Health)
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (infants and toddlers) · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Honey as Nutrient and Functional Food · Bee Product Science (Stefan Bogdanov)
Frequently asked questions
- What is honey called in Chinese medicine?
- Feng mi.
- How is honey used in TCM?
- To bind herbal pills, roast herbs and make herbal pastes.
- What is mi zhi?
- Stir-frying herbs with honey, as with honey-roasted licorice.
- What are honey pills?
- Mi wan, herbal powders bound with honey into pills.
- Is TCM supported by research?
- Study quality for herbal products is often poor, per NCCIH.
- Are Chinese herbal products safe?
- Some have been contaminated; buy carefully and tell your doctor.
- Can babies have honey remedies?
- No. Never give honey to babies under 12 months.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice, and these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk to your doctor about any health concern. Never give honey of any kind to a baby under 12 months old.