Ginkgo nut
The kernel of the ginkgo seed, ivory-yellow and pleasantly chewy once cooked, sold shelled and vacuum-packed or still in its smooth shell. Shelled, skinned and with the bitter germ removed, a modest handful gives congee, foo jook sweet soup and savoury pots a tender bite and gentle bitterness; it must always be cooked through and eaten in limited numbers.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet、bitter Meridians · lung
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy a few cooked nuts are traditionally used to consolidate the lungs, steady laboured breathing in the traditional sense, and check discharge and frequent night urination.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalIt contains ginkgo toxin and is poisonous raw. It must be shelled, cored and cooked through.
- An adult should not have more than about 10 at a sitting, children fewer, and infants should not eat them at all
Preparation
Shell them, slip off the skins and take out the core, which is the germ and the most toxic part, then cook them right through.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Taixing, Jiangsu (also Tancheng in Shandong and Lingchuan in Guangxi)
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
