Fruits and seedsDigestantFructus Crataegi
Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit)
山楂 · Shan Zha
Digestant herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditional functions: Opens appetite, digests food, resolves stagnation, eliminates accumulation, invigorates blood, disperses stasis, resolves phlegm, moves qi.
Quick Facts
| Latin Name | Fructus Crataegi |
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| Chinese Name & Pinyin | 山楂 · Shan Zha |
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| Medicinal Part | Fruits and seeds |
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| Efficacy Category | Digestant |
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| Botanical Origin | The dried mature fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br or Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.(Rosaceae). |
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| Nature & Flavour | Sweet, Sour; Slightly warm |
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| Channels Entered | Spleen, Stomach, Liver |
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What Is Shan Zha?
Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit) is a medicinal herb of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong.
Nature & Flavour: Sweet, Sour; Slightly warm
Channels Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Liver
Shan Zha: Materia Medica Profile
Identification & Quality Standard
Fructus Crataegi
Botanical Origin
The dried mature fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br or Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.(Rosaceae).
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is large with thick flesh, lacks seeds, and has red skin.
Macroscopic Features
Relatively small fruit, sub-spherical, 0.8~1.4cm diameter, sometimes pressed into a disc-like shape. Externally brown to brownish-red, with dense thin wrinkles, apex is indented, with remnants of calyx, base has fruit stem or it has already fallen.
Traditional TCM Properties
Sweet, Sour; Slightly warmSpleenStomachLiver
Traditional Functions
Opens appetite, digests food, resolves stagnation, eliminates accumulation, invigorates blood, disperses stasis, resolves phlegm, moves qi. Apply to dyspeptic disease due to over consumption of meat, abdominal mass accumulation, abdominal swelling and fullness, abdominal pain due to stasis, phlegm and fluid retention, diarrhea, discharging fresh blood stool.
Classical Formulas Containing Shan Zha
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shan Zha? Are Shen Qu, Mai Ya and Lai Fu Zi the same?
Official Shan Zha (山楂) is the dried mature fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida or C. pinnatifida var. major. The pharmacopoeial name is Crataegi Fructus. It is especially good at reducing meat and greasy accumulation. Shen Qu is sweet-acrid-warm: reduces food and harmonizes the Stomach—grain, flour and alcohol. Mai Ya is sweet-neutral: moves qi, reduces food and withdraws milk—grain accumulation and milk accumulation. Lai Fu Zi is acrid-sweet-neutral: reduces food, eliminates distention, downbears qi and transforms phlegm. Write Shan Zha, fried Shan Zha or scorch-fried Shan Zha. Snack hawthorn slices are not the medicinal dose. Use caution when the Spleen and Stomach have no accumulation.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Shan Zha?
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Shan Zha is sour, sweet and slightly warm, enters the Spleen, Stomach and Liver channels, and acts to reduce food stagnation and fortify the Stomach, move qi and dissipate stasis, resolve turbidity and lower lipids. It is used for meat-food stagnation, epigastric fullness, dysentery-diarrhea with abdominal pain, blood-stasis amenorrhea, postpartum stasis, stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen, chest impediment and heart pain, hernia pain and hyperlipidemia. Jiao Shan Zha more strongly reduces food and conducts stagnation, for meat accumulation and ungratifying dysentery. Sour-sweet and slightly warm, it suits meat accumulation and stasis—not Spleen-Stomach vacuity without accumulation, or excessive Stomach acid.
How do you choose raw, fried and scorch-fried Shan Zha?
Moving qi, dissipating stasis, chest impediment and heart pain more often use raw Shan Zha. Reducing food and fortifying the Stomach more often use fried Shan Zha. Jiao Shan Zha is less sour and better at conducting stagnation and stopping dysentery. Large amounts of fresh snack hawthorn can cause excess acid or even gastric bezoar—not a substitute for the decoction dose. The pit is not used as equal-weight digestant.
Learn More About Shan Zha
Explore our in-depth article covering the traditional uses, properties, functions, and TCM context of Shan Zha.
Read the Shan Zha Guide →
Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.
