Skip to main content

Papaya and Almond Dessert for Nourishing Lungs

Today I looked up a recipe for nourishing lungs and found this simple dessert soup. I’ve been feeling out of sorts for the past two days, itchy throat, blocked and stuffed nose and sniffles all about. These symptoms indicate that my lungs were weak and if you have problems with your lungs, you will also have constipation because the nose, lungs and large intestine are interconnected, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

You can use acupressure to relieve the stuffed nose, like I did. Press with your fingers both sides of your nose, on your cheeks. You can also press on the ‘third eye’, the area between your eye brows. Or press both sides of your nostrils, near your eye area. These will help clear your sinus a bit or at least allow you to breathe easier. The other point is behind your head, near your ears. Feel for a soft spot on both your left and right and press to get rid of the stuffy nose. You can also massage your jawline to stimulate the lymph glands so they can work overtime to help fight your flu.

Aside the above, you can also try making yourself a sweet soup. It’s of course better to prevent rather than cure – prevention means one sweet soup per week or at least nourishing soups 2 to 3 times a week. But the past week has been hectic for me so I guess that’s the reason I’m feeling a bit out of sorts.

On with this dessert soup… Anything that’s good for the lungs also helps maintain a clear complexion. Clear skin means that your toxins are regularly flushed out and the organ in charge of doing this is the Large Intestine and the Lungs. So it’s a no-brainer that if you have good skin, your lungs and large intestine must be in good working order!

You’ll need:

* 1 small, ripe papaya (peeled and cut into cubes)
* 2-3 pieces of white fungus (soaked in water, drained and torn into small pieces)
* 4 dried red dates (deseeded)
* 1 tablespoon of bitter almonds
* 1 tablespoon of sweet almonds
* 1 tablespoon rock sugar
* 1 liter water

Place all above ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover tightly and simmer for an hour. Serve warm. (Remember to eat the ingredients too.) You can also stew this in a crockpot if you have one.

Note: Bitter and sweet almonds can be bought at any Chinese herbalist cheaply. Although beneficial for your lungs, do not use too much of either as almonds can be toxic (even regular whole almonds shouldn’t be eaten too many either).

White fungus is naturally good for the lungs. White fungus is an ingredient that can be used either in sweet dessert or savoury soups in Chinese cooking. A little goes a long way because the fungus starts expanding when soaked in water. Get the best, freshest dried white fungus you can buy. Papaya is also another ingredient which is often used in Chinese soups – both sweet and savoury recipes feature this humble tropical fruit.

Comments

cheryl said…
I used to eat this kind of soup at Pearl City (a huge yam cha restaurant) when I lived in Hong Kong many years ago. They served it in a large sealed bowl after it had been steamed for a long time. Your version is much easier! Thank you! I love your blog!
Crys said…
I am in chinese medical school and we have to create a dish using chinese herbs...
I looked at your recipe and want to share it with my school.
bai mu er (white fungus)
hong zao or could use da zao (dates)
tao ren (bitter almonds)
Papaya,
xylotol instead of rock sugar as my fellow students aren't fond of sugars.
I made a amazing bai mu er pudding 2 weeks ago if you would like the recipe let me know.
I'll let you know how everyone liked yours.
thanks for your idea
Ashley
Anonymous said…
Thank you, I made this soup this weekend. It was yummy. Thank you for the soup recipes, it's so much better than just making up quantities myself.
Krista Goon said…
Hi Cheryl: Thank you for your compliments. You are making me blush! I hope you tried to make my version.
Krista Goon said…
Hi Crys:
Hoped you had good results while making this sweet soup! Yes, please. Let me know your bai mu er pudding too. ;-)
Krista Goon said…
Hi Anonymous: Great to hear that. If you come across any TCM recipe, please share too. We can all learn from each other.
Anonymous said…
May I know the Bitter almond & Sweet almond is in powder form or nuts ?
Krista Goon said…
Hi Anonymous

The bitter and sweet almonds are in nut form. You can get them at any Chinese herbalist store.

Popular posts from this blog

Goji Berry, Chrysanthemum & Red Date Tea

I've been making this simple tea for a few times already. Not sure if I had shared this before but all it needs are 3 ingredients - dried goji berries, dried red dates and dried chrysanthemum bulbs. This sugar-less concoction is good for health especially if you want to maintain immunity. It's even more important these days what with the pandemic and Covid-19. But it is also a pleasant brew - no boiling needed. All you need is a handful of goji berries (washed and soaked for 5 minutes in water), 3-5 large dried red dates and a teaspoon of dried chrysanthemum flowers (these are the small heads of flowers, not the usual type for making chrysanthemum tea). Put all the ingredients in a teapot and pour in boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes and voila, you have made yourself a healthy tea without sugar. It has a natural sweetness from the red dates and goji berries. And once you have drunk all the tea, you can continue adding more boiling water for a second b...

The Remarkable Nut of Nuts

In this recipe, walnuts and dried red dates are combined to make a healthy and life-giving dessert. And with honey added, it packs a punch. A truly simple dessert which is used to prevent the usual flu magnets - colds and coughs. It helps too with your kidneys and with bowel movement. Walnuts are much revered in Chinese medicine, not least because the nut resembles the brain! Again, the Chinese believe that walnuts are good snacks for children as they help boost brain power which is true because of the high amounts of Omega 3 fats (good for the brain). Walnuts are of course a good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids and in Roman times, considered the food of the gods. Walnuts are a 'yang' tonic and useful for toning up weak kidneys. It also warms lung Qi while acting as a laxative, moistening the intestines (hence encouraging bowel movement if you are constipated). Walnuts are called Hu Tao Ren (juglans regia) in Chinese medicine. Walnut & Red Date Dessert 150 gm walnut...

Corn Silk That You Should Never Throw Away

The next time you buy fresh corn still in its husk, you should never throw away the corn silk. Most people throw away the husk and silk, thinking that they're useless but I can tell you, corn silk is great for your body. Save the corn silk to make a healthy tea. Just place all the silk into a pot, cover with 500ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and pour yourself a steaming cup of sweetish corn silk tea that tastes a little like corn.  Corn silk or Yu Mi Xu is a natural corn fibre that is also used in Native American medicine. It contains flavonoids that give corn silks their colour and have antioxidant properties.  I t is considered an important medicinal plant, able to induce diuresis and excrete dampness according to TCM.  Corn silk is helpful towards Kidney, Bladder, Liver and Gall Bladder. meridians Therefore it clears damp heat, bloating, rheumatism, skin eruptions, gout, wasting and thirsting disorder, hepatitis, cholelithiasis, ch...