Clear and Bright · Tea break · Yin Deficiency
Mulberry & black sesame paste
Toasted black sesame blended into a silky paste with tangy-sweet mulberries — nourishing for the liver and kidneys.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
NeutralNourishes liver & kidneysMoistens dryness
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency brings a dry mouth, warm palms and restless sleep, and Qingming's rising yang easily stirs up deficient heat. Mulberries and black sesame are dark foods that go to the liver and kidneys, nourishing yin and blood; a warm, smooth paste moistens without heating.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Rinse the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes; give the dried mulberries a quick rinse.
- 2Dry-toast the black sesame in a wok over low heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant and just starting to pop.
- 3Blend the drained rice, sesame, mulberries and 500 ml water for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
- 4Pour into a small pan and cook over low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until thick, then stir in the rock sugar until dissolved.
- 5Pour into a flask to take to the office and enjoy it warm in the afternoon.
Cautions
- Mulberries and sesame both loosen the bowels — go easy if your digestion runs cold or your stools are loose.
- Sesame is a common allergen; skip this if you react to it.
Chef's tips
- Toast the sesame over low heat and stop as soon as it smells nutty and starts to pop — burnt sesame tastes bitter.
- Fresh mulberries in season? Use 80 g instead of the dried ones and halve the sugar.
The TCM view
Mulberries are sweet, sour and cold, nourishing yin and blood and relieving dryness; black sesame is sweet and neutral, nourishing the liver, kidneys and blood and keeping you regular; rice is sweet and neutral and protects the stomach. Yin anchors the rising yang so it doesn't flare into heat, without being too cold.
