Chaoqi is fried with Guanyin clay, also called
kaolinite, which is a kind of
bentonite. This dirt is found at
Loess Plateau, Shanxi. It is a kind of traditional medicinal material recorded in
Compendium of Materia Medica. In the past, it was called Bai'e (). kaolinite contains the element of
calcium, which is good for bone health and
blood pressure. Guanyin clay can also draw out impurities and improve the immunity of the human's gut and stomach because the clay has adhesiveness, enabling the adhesion of the impurities in the human's body before they get discharged. Chaoqi can reduce
diarrhea and nausea thanks to the binding effect of Guanyin clay. However, Guanyin clay is indigestible and poisonous at high doses. Chaoqi only uses a small quantity of Guanyin clay. However, the poor often depended on eating Guanyin clay to survive during the
Great Chinese Famine. This kind of clay could satisfy their hunger, but cannot be digested and absorbed by the human body. Enough consumption lead to bloating and make it difficult to defecate. It can also cause
malnutrition. During famines, countless people suffocated to death due to gastrointestinal issues arising from eating Guanyin clay. == Making procedure ==