Spirit food, four grades.
Not everything edible counts as spirit food. The tradition sorts it into four grades: everyday grains and vegetables are common; herbs that are also food are spirit grade; anything needing craft is treasure grade; and passed-down, made-to-measure protocols are the legend grade.
| Grade | What it is | Who it is for | Stage | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GradeCommon Fánpǐn |
What it isEveryday grains, vegetables and delicacies — each with its own character Delicacies have their own nature: matsutake and shiitake build qi; lobster and sea cucumber run cold yet are protein-rich; grains nourish, vegetables fill. |
Who it is forEveryone, daily | StageMortal | Product— | PriceNot sold — everyday food |
| GradeSpirit Língpǐn |
What it isHerbs that are also food, the everyday layer: goji, poria, job's tears | Who it is forDeviation under 8%: daily upkeep | StageBody forging | ProductTea sachet | Price$199 / 7 days · 3 servings | monthly $299 |
| GradeTreasure Zhēnpǐn |
What it isThe layer that needs craft: nine steamings and sunnings, roasting, long simmering | Who it is forDeviation over 8%: deeper rebuilding | StageFoundation building | ProductSoup base | Price$299 / 7 days · 3 servings | monthly $399 |
| GradeLegend Xiānpǐn |
What it isPassed-down, made-to-measure protocols: no standard pack | Who it is forAnyone who needs a formula of their own | StageGolden core | ProductImmortal Brew · simmered by hand | PriceQuoted by email — set by the ingredient's age and the labour |
Seven stages, which grade each one eats
| Stage | What happens here | Grade | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| StageMortal | What happens hereLearning the plants first: what the market sells | GradeCommon | Product— |
| StageBody forging | What happens hereEating on a schedule, sleeping on a schedule | GradeSpirit | ProductTea sachet $199 / 7 days |
| StageFoundation building | What happens hereCraft: nine steamings turn one herb into nine natures | GradeTreasure | ProductSoup base $299 / 7 days |
| StageGolden core | What happens hereOne ingredient taken all the way: blended to your element, simmered by hand | GradeLegend | ProductImmortal Brew made to order · quoted by email |
| StageSpirit transformation | What happens hereEating in step with the seasons | Grade— | ProductIn development |
| StageTribulation | What happens hereFood to carry you through — rebuilding after the wreck | Grade— | ProductIn development |
| StageAscension | What happens hereTaking the design of things to its end | Grade— | ProductIn development |
The eighteen we actually use
Origin, harvest and lab testing for each herb: Ingredients.
Every one comes from China's food-and-medicine catalogue, with its byname, element, organ link and one legend. The tag on each card says which grade it belongs to.
Goji berry · Hóngzhū
An immortal's staff, the story goes; the woodcutter who ate the fruit saw clearly again.
Yuzhu root · Yùjié
A hermit in the mountains boiled it all winter instead of grain.
Poria · Yúngēn
It forms under pine roots, growing only where it can hold the pine.
Wild jujube seed · Tiáoshuìzhū
A patient three nights without sleep took it and slept.
Black sesame · Xuángǔ
The nine steamings began with this one; the old books call it immortal's grain.
Aged tangerine peel · Chénxiāng
Better the older it gets; past three years it is called aged peel.
Hangzhou chrysanthemum · Shuāngyīng
Picked only after the ninth-month frost, for its clarity.
Lily bulb · Yùbàn
Its scales close like a hundred petals folded together — hence the name.
Longan aril · Lízhū
Picked in Lingnan in the eighth month, sun-dried to amber.
Mint · Qīngkè
Crush a leaf and it scents your hand; people once carried it with them.
Hawthorn · Chìshí
Red only after the frost; one after a heavy meal.
Ophiopogon root · Cùnjīn
It does not die in winter — that is the name.
Lotus leaf · Qīnggài
Gathered in the sixth month, taking its floating quality.
Bamboo leaf · Xìqīng
The leaf of bamboo: cooling without being cold.
Dandelion · Jīnzān
It grows along the field edges; spring is the time to pick it.
Job's tears · Zhūmǐ
Shaped like a bead; eaten where the south is damp and heavy.
Gardenia · Huángzhī
Six petals on the flower; the fruit dyes yellow.
Cassia seed · Huántóng
Toasted, it smells faintly warm; taken long, the eyes stay clear.
How the legend grade works
The legend grade has no standard pack. Email us who you are and where you have drifted; we agree on the single ingredient and how far to take it, then one person simmers it slowly by hand.
Email first — free. We look at your chart and your health check before suggesting anything.
A quote based on the ingredient, its age, quantity and labour. Nothing is made until you agree.
Pay a deposit to hold a slot, then it is simmered by hand — about 15 days.
Which grade is yours — spirit or treasure? Fill in your birth data and we answer with your own deviation number.