Night-blooming cereus (dried)

The dried flower of the night-blooming cereus, a climbing cactus, sold as flattened ochre-brown dried blooms usually labelled ba wong fa. Soaked, torn open and rinsed of grit, it turns soft and silky in the pot, adding gentle sweetness and slippery body to everyday clearing soups.

TCM properties

Nature · cooling　Flavour · sweet　Meridians · lung

Traditional food therapy

In Cantonese food therapy it anchors everyday clearing-and-moistening pots, traditionally simmered with apricot kernels and honey dates to clear heat, moisten the lungs and ease cough and phlegm.

Cautions: read first

• Take care if your cough is of the cold and deficient kind
• Mild in nature, so most people can use it

Preparation

Soak the dried flowers until soft, tear them open and wash out the grit and dust.

Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source

Zhaoqing, Guangdong (also around Guangzhou and Foshan)

Availability in Australia

Easy to find

Pairs well with