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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.

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