老火湯LO FO TONG

All soups › Spirit-calming

Double-boiled snow fungus with longan and lotus seeds

桂圓蓮子燉雪耳
nourishes yinmoistens the lungsnourishes bloodcalms the spiritstrengthens the spleennourishes the complexionAutumnWinterAll year double-boiled · 3 hours A$4–5

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Ingredients

百子櫃Snow fungus· soaked to swell, base trimmed off20 g
百子櫃Dried longan flesh· dried longan, also called 桂圓30 g
百子櫃Lotus seed· cores removed10 g
百子櫃Red jujube date· pitted5 to 10
百子櫃Rock sugar· add after the double-boiling is finished6 g

Method

Double-boiled (隔水燉, cooked in a covered pot sitting in a pan of boiling water). Put the snow fungus, longan, lotus seeds and red dates in the stewing pot, pour in about 750 ml of water, seal the top with cling film (traditionally gauze paper) and put the lid on. Sit it in a pan of boiling water reaching one third to halfway up the pot and cook for 3 hours, topping up the outer pan with boiling water as you go. Stir the rock sugar in after the cooking is finished so it dissolves.

  1. Soak the snow fungus until it swells, snip off the hard base and tear it into small florets. Take the cores out of the lotus seeds and pit the red dates.
  2. Put everything except the rock sugar into the stewing pot and pour in about 750 ml of water.
  3. Seal the pot and double-boil for 3 hours.
  4. When it is done, stir in the rock sugar until it dissolves.
  5. It is best drunk warm just before bed.

Who it suits

  • trouble sleeping
  • palpitations from blood deficiency
  • dry cough

Who should take care

  • Halve the longan if you run heaty easily
  • People with diabetes should watch the sugar
  • Not while a cold has not cleared

Soup stories

A bedtime double-boil. Longan is said to nourish the heart, lotus seeds to settle the mind and snow fungus to moisten the lungs, so a warm bowl goes down just before sleep.

From the same family

Lotus seed, lily bulb and poria soup with lean porkA$11–14
蓮子百合茯神瘦肉湯
calms the spiritstrengthens the spleensupports the kidneysAll year
百子櫃Lotus seed· 40 g (1 tael)百子櫃Dried lily bulb· 40 g (1 tael)百子櫃Poria with pine hostwood· 20 g (5 mace)百子櫃Dried longan flesh· 8 g (2 mace)百子櫃Candied honey date· 2街市Lean pork· 300 g

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Double-boiled silkie chicken with lingzhi (reishi)A$12–20
靈芝燉烏雞
calms the spiritreplenishes qinourishes bloodAll year
百子櫃Lingzhi / reishi mushroom· 20 g 赤靈芝街市Silkie (black-boned chicken)· half a bird百子櫃Dried longan flesh· 12 g百子櫃Red jujube date· 4街市Fresh ginger· 2 slices

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Longan, lotus seed and egg soupA$5–6
龍眼肉蓮子雞蛋湯
calms the spiritnourishes bloodnourishes the complexionAll year
百子櫃Dried longan flesh· 12 g百子櫃Lotus seed· 40 g (1 tael)街市Chicken egg (hard-boiled)· 2百子櫃Red jujube date· 4街市Fresh ginger· 2 slices

“Simmered the whole day — nothing held back.”

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.