Dit da jow (Jyutping: dit3 daa2 zau2; pinyin: Diē dǎ jiǔ) is a common Chinese liniment used as traditional medicine in the belief it can reduce the pain from external injuries.

Description

Dit da jow – thought to be an analgesic liniment preferred by martial artists – is made from herbs put in a glass or polyethylene terephthalate plastic jar and mixed with an alcohol, such as vodka or gin.

Typical ingredients

The herbs and other ingredients are typically coarse-ground, then steeped in alcohol (vodka or rice wine is common), sometimes with heat, and then aged.

Traditional ingredients

Traditional recipes may include:

Westernized recipe ingredients

Some recipes instead use ingredients more readily available, such as:

Analytics

Detailed information on the bioactive components of dit da jow is limited, with formulations varying widely. One report stated the components vary considerably with brand and age, but those found included acetic acid, acetoglyceride, columbianetin, coumarin, rhododendrol, vanillin, chrysophanic acid, and salicylic acid.