Fresh wampee with toasted rice tea
Wampee comes into season around Grain in Ear, sweet-sour and appetising, paired with a cup of tea made from rice toasted golden in a dry wok.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Toast
- Easy
Why it suits you: In a phlegm-damp constitution the spleen struggles to transform food and fluids, leaving a stuffy chest, phlegm and bloating after meals. Wampee moves qi, relieves food stagnation and resolves phlegm, while toasted rice warms the stomach and dries damp. As an afternoon snack in place of milk tea and desserts, it adds no more damp.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Rinse the rice and dry it thoroughly. Toast in a dry wok over low heat for about 10 minutes until golden and fragrant, then cool.
- 2Put the toasted rice and tangerine peel in a teapot, pour over the hot water and steep for 10 minutes. Pour and drink; it can be topped up once more.
- 3Rinse the wampee on the stem and drain. Peel and eat the flesh, spitting out the seeds, alongside the tea.
Cautions
- Too much wampee can be heating, so don't overdo it; don't swallow the seeds.
Chef's tips
- An old Cantonese saying goes 'lychees when hungry, wampee when full' — wampee after a meal helps digestion. Toast a big batch of rice and keep it in an airtight jar.
The TCM view
Wampee is pungent, sweet, sour and warm, moving qi, aiding digestion and resolving phlegm. Toasted rice is sweet and warm; toasting gives it an aroma that enters the spleen, strengthening it and drying damp. Dried tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, regulating qi and resolving phlegm. Together they move qi, resolve phlegm and strengthen the spleen against damp.
