TCM mooncakes a trendy, healthy option for festival

Mooncakes using traditional Chinese medicine ingredients are gaining significant popularity ahead of next week's Mid-Autumn Festival, reflecting consumers' increasing interest in safer, healthier foods.

TCM holds that many herbs can act as both nourishment and medicine, being as effective in disease prevention as pharmaceuticals. This theory, known as medicine food homology, forms the basis of food therapy.

To date, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation have recognized 106 types of traditional Chinese herbs as nutritional supplements, allowing them to be used in food preparation.