The Herb Cabinet 本草

阿胶 ē jiāo

Equus asinus (colla corii asini) · donkey-hide gelatin

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“The strangest thing in my cabinet that isn't a caterpillar. An amber gelatin the empresses swore by — and a drawer where honesty requires talking about donkeys.” — Lao Xinglin

What the tradition says

E jiao is gelatin boiled from donkey hide, named for the well-water of E County that supposedly made it best. The tradition ranks it among the great blood nourishers: for the dizzy, pale, dry-skinned picture of blood deficiency, for restless insomnia of yin worn thin, for dry coughs, and — its specialty — for stopping bleeding in chronic patterns^[1]. Melted into strained decoctions, or eaten as sweet gelatin cakes with walnuts and sesame, it was the tonic of empresses and of confinement kitchens after childbirth.

What the research says

Essentially nothing clinical: e jiao is collagen — glycine-rich protein — and no rigorous trials support unique effects beyond nutrition. Filed plainly: a culturally beloved tonic food whose medical claims rest on tradition alone.

The ethics, stated plainly

Demand for e jiao consumes millions of donkey hides a year, and the trade has damaged donkey populations and rural livelihoods across Africa — the African Union adopted a continent-wide moratorium on the donkey-skin trade in 2024^[2]. There is no "sustainable" certification to point to. Our honest guidance: if a blood tonic is what's wanted, dang gui, long yan rou, and da zao do the tradition's work without the trade — this page exists to explain e jiao, not to send you shopping for it.

Where to be careful

Physically, little: it is rich, cloying protein — the tradition withholds it from weak, damp digestion^[1]. Commercially, much: e jiao is among the most counterfeited substances in the pharmacy (hide gelatins of every species), which the price alone invites.

Reviewed 2026-08-25