百子櫃THE HUNDRED DRAWERS
Lotus leaf
荷葉
clears heatdispels dampnesspromotes water metabolism清暑化濕升發清陽
The broad leaf of the lotus, sold dried and folded fan-like, or fresh in summer; half a leaf serves a family pot. It infuses the broth with a gentle tea-like fragrance and a whisper of bitterness that reads unmistakably as summer.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · bitter Meridians · liver、spleen、stomach
Traditional food therapy
A summer leaf in Cantonese food therapy, floated in winter-melon and barley pots to lift the clear yang, dispel summer damp and cool the season's heat.
Cautions: read first
- Take care if you are thin, or weak in qi and blood
- Take care if your spleen and stomach run cold
Preparation
Rinse dried lotus leaf, soak it soft and snip it into pieces. Fresh leaf is simply washed and used. Half a leaf is the usual amount for a family pot in summer.
Origin
The lake country of Hunan and Hubei (also Jiangsu and Zhejiang)
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
