Toronto has the second largest Chinatown in North America
and the largest when all six of its Chinatowns are grouped as one. The
largest one is centred downtown around the intersection of Dundas Street
West and Spadina Avenue, and extends outward from this point along both
streets. It has grown significantly over the years and has come to reflect
a diverse set of Asian cultures through its shops and restaurants,
including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai.
Toronto's Chinatowns
all feature Chinese Apothecaries where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
is dispensed. TCM was developed over 4,000 years ago in the Far East and
is based on Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It continues to evolve.
Today over 2 billion people use it. When you vacation in Toronto a visit to
a Chinatown Apothecary should prove an interesting adventure and possibly
good for your health.
Your mission, not impossible according to Mr.
Phelps, is to find out more about TCM. In TCM the whole idea is to achieve
balance, which is called the Law of the Unity of Opposites. When opposites
come together they create life. They converge and diverge in a dynamic
oscillation. The less oscillation to the extreme the less illness occurs.
When they separate entirely life ceases. Health is balance. These opposites
are called Yin and Yang. Chinese herbs are used to treat this imbalance.
They are selected and combined in formulas based on four or more herbs
being used. Only a few herbs are used by themselves. 
One way that British people can use to
remember the designing of an herbal formula is to think of a monarchical
form of government that they are familiar with. The King or Queen Herb is
directed to and has the strongest effect on the most important imbalance
/pathology. Minister Herb is directed at the main imbalance as well as the
secondary imbalance/pathology. Assistant Herb, which either strengthens the
King/Queen herb or reduces or eliminates the hash or toxic effects of the
King/Queen and Minister herbs. Guide herb focuses actions of the other
herbs on a particular organ, channel or region of the body. In order to
remember this herbal formula recall an American radio station’s call
letters KMAG.
Here’s one herbal formula you can play Sherlock
Holmes with in a Chinese Apothecary by trying and identify its four
elements. The King/Queen Herb is Ma Huang / Ephedra. You can identify it as
a jointed and nearly leafless desert shrub having reduced scale like leaves
and reddish fleshy seeds. The Minister Herb is Gui Zhi or Cinnamon Twigs.
You shouldn’t have trouble finding this. The Assistant Herb is Xing ren /
apricot seed and the Guide Herb is Gan Cao or Licorice Root. If there is no
signage then ask the proprietor to help identify each of these items. By
the way this herbal formula is used to treat wind cold invasion, aversion
to cold, no sweating, headache, body aches and sneezing. This imbalance
often occurs in Canada the morning after when one has been drinking at a
pub and lays down on the way home in a snow bank.
Hopefully your
treasure hunt for these herbal items will prove elementary, as it didn’t
for poor Watson. Enjoy your adventure in Chinatown and good luck, good
hunting and good health.
Visit:
Wing Shing
Herb Store
265 Spadina Ave
South of Dundas St
W
416-979-0905
Bill Genova is a Toronto tour guide, and
CraveCanada's Toronto Correspondent.
Visit Bill's own website
Genova
Tours
Article Written By Bill Genova /
CraveCanada.com
Last Updated: Tuesday 21st March 2006 -
8:18pm GMT
United States Edition