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Blending traditional knowledge and Western science, this collection of family stories, healing recipes, and profiles of plants common in Minnesota celebrates age-old wisdom and cutting-edge research.
During early years in Laos, May Lee trained as a niam tshuaj, a plant-based healer and keeper of herbal plants, a role customarily handed down from mother to eldest daughter. When she fled to Thailand and then the United States in 1980, May brought preserved cuttings, which she eventually cultivated in Minnesota. She passed along her knowledge to daughters Zongxee and Mhonpaj, who likewise became herbalists and farmers.
Among other traditional uses, Hmong medicinal herbs are essential ingredients in a special chicken soup consumed for postpartum healing. In Tshuaj Ntsuab (green medicine), a recipe for this nourishing soup accompanies descriptions of additional cultural practices, herbal remedies, and growing techniques that are part of Hmong oral tradition. Through detailed photographs, botanical information, and scientific research, this compendium profiles forty-four medicinal plants that are important to the culture and diets of Hmong people around the world.
Tshuaj Ntsuab grew out of a five-year collaboration between the Lee family, University of Minnesota Extension, and Dr. Ya Yang’s laboratory at the University of Minnesota. The team used DNA sequencing to identify each of the herbs and reviewed published works to better understand what scientists know about these plants. The result is a valuable reference that preserves traditional knowledge for members of the Hmong community and beyond.
“Tshuaj Ntsuab is a valuable contribution to Hmong Americans’ understanding of our culture and traditions. Through May’s story, we get an important perspective into the fabric of feminism that has networked Hmong women’s knowledge through time and place. I will keep this book on my shelves for my personal reference and for future generations.”—Kao Kalia Yang, author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father, and Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother’s Life
“Combining traditional Hmong healing methods with botanical science, Tshuaj Ntsuab introduces gardeners, herbalists, and anyone who cares about health to an array of healing plants—most unknown to North American gardeners—as well as techniques for growing and using them. This comprehensive work also tells an important story about the value of domestic knowledge.”—Mary Schier, author of The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias
Zongxee Lee is a Hmong American herbalist and gardener and a registered nurse. She is the author of 30 Days of Purification: Common Hmong Postpartum Herbs. She learned to care for and use traditional herbs from her mother and grandmother, and she has dedicated her life to documenting and preserving Hmong medicinal herbs. She is currently building a Hmong botanical conservatory. She lives in Roberts, Wisconsin.
Natalie Hoidal is an Extension educator at the University of Minnesota, working with vegetable crops and local foods. She has a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Copenhagen and a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from the University of Minnesota Morris. In her Extension role she supports vegetable farmers to be more sustainable and profitable, reaching growers through newsletters, podcasts, videos, web pages, presentations, and field days. She lives in Northfield, Minnesota.
Alex Crum studies the evolution of plant pigments and what makes plants medicinal. She earned her PhD in the Yang Lab of Plant Evolution at the University of Minnesota; DNA barcoding used to identify plants in this book comprised a chapter of her doctoral dissertation. She also holds a master’s degree in biology from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor’s degree in biology and biochemistry from the College of St. Scholastica. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
Lindsey Miller supports the communications program for the University of Minnesota Extension fruit and vegetable and horticulture teams. She holds a bachelor of science degree in horticulture and is currently pursuing a degree in environmental science communication. Miller’s work—shaped by roles in research, project management, and communications—reflects her commitment to celebrating and advocating for the plant world. Her educational background and nontraditional career path allow her to blend scientific insight with a creative passion for plant photography. She lives in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
What Is This Book? And Who Is It For?
Part I: A Family’s Story Through Hmong Medicinal Herbs
May’s Story
Migration from Vientiane
From Thailand to Minnesota
The Next Generation
Part II: Hmong Herbs Used During Pregnancy and Postpartum Care
Part III: Recipes
Postpartum Chicken Soup
Compress for Sprains, Swelling, and Bruises
Amulet for Protection
Morning Sickness Remedy
Remedy for Sore Gums and Canker Sores
Teas for Colds, Fevers, and Coughs
Part IV: A Compendium of Hmong Medicinal Herbs
Hmab ntsha ntsuab, Basella alba
Hmab ntsha liab, Basella alba
Hmab tsib nti, Gynostemma pentaphyllum
Kab raws liab, Houttuynia cordata
Ko taw os dawb, Angelica decursiva
Ko taw os liab, Artemisia lactiflora
Kob lij xeeb, Talinum paniculatum
Kua txob liab, Dicliptera chinensis
Kua txob ntsuab, Dicliptera chinensis
Kuab nplai dib - Sedum sarmentosum
Kuab nplai taub - Sedum emarginatum
Kub muas lwj, Kalanchoe laciniata
Moj tsuas, Apiaciae family
Ncas liab, Achyranthes bidentata
Nkaj liab, Iresine diffusa
Nplooj qhwv yeeb, Tacca plantaginea
Nplooj tuaj kau, Kalanchoe pinnata
Ntiv, Eupatorium fortunei
Ntiv dub, Ruellia simplex
Pawj ia, Acorus calamus
Pawj qaib - Acorus gramineus
Pos qws, Eleutherococcus trifoliatus
Qhaus rau qaib, Hedychium spp.
Quab quav yeeb, Persicaria chinensis
Qhia daj, Curcuma spp.
Raws, Commelina communis
Raws los, Commelinaceae family
Sab txhim hmab, Anredera cordifolia
Sam mos kab, Hylotelephium telephium
Siv toj, Valeriana jatamansi
Suv ntsim, Chrysanthemum indicum
Suv ntsim iab, Artemisia verlotiorum
Suv ntsim soob, Artemisia annua
Tsab tsis, Eleutherine bulbosa
Tseej ntug, Silene viscidula
Tshab xyoob, Apiaciae family
Tshais qav, Aster indicus
Tshuaj roj plant group
Tshuaj roj liab, Gyurna spp.
Tshuaj roj ntsuab, Gyurna spp.
Tshuaj roj ntsuab soob, Gyurna procumbrens
Zaj xaws, Gyurna spp.
Tuaj dub, Cymbopogon citratus
Vas Koos, Curcuma spp.
Zej ntshua ntuag, Elsholtzia penduliflora