Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Sesame oil

Illustration of sesame oil (xiangyou) from Shiwu bencao (Materia dietetica), a dietetic herbal in four volumes dating from the Ming period (1368-1644). The identity of the author and artists is unknown. It contains entries on over 300 medicinal substances and is illustrated by almost 500 paintings in colour. The illustration shows a workman extracting oil from sesame. The text states: Sesame oil is cold in thermostatic character when raw but hot once cooked. It is non-poisonous. Sesame oil has the medicinal properties of lubricating the marrow, bringing down retrograde heat-poison Qi in the triple burner (sanjiao), stimulating the elimination of faeces and urine, etc... It must not be consumed by people suffering from dental problems and illnesses of the spleen and stomach.

Sesame oil (xiangyou)