Triphala

' is a fruit drink or infusion produced from chebulic myrobalan, beleric myrobalan, and emblic myrobalan. Containing vitamin C, it is considered an Ayurvedic rasayana formula when the dried and powdered fruit are prepared in a 1:1:1 or 1:2:3 ratio. It is one of the most common Ayurvedic treatments in the world. Less prominently, as ', the drink has a 1200-year history as a kind of fruit wine in China with the non-alcoholic form now being marketed there as a traditional herbal remedy.

History

The earliest record of in China is Li Zhao's Supplement to the Book of Tang, which lists it in a section on domestic and foreign alcohol available in the Tang capital Chang'an. It states the Chinese formulation was based on a recipe from Persia. One such recipe is included in Han E's mid- or late-Tang Summary of the Four Seasons ), first published in 996: pulverize 3 liang of the pits of each of the 3 fruits to a sesame seed consistency; thoroughly mix 1 dou but emended the recipe to use 3 liang total in the mixture. Commenters varied as to whether preparation in the 8th or 9th lunar month produced the best results.