Lotus root, hawthorn & brown sugar drink
Soft lotus root simmered with hawthorn, red dates and ginger into a sweet-sour warming drink that gently gets the blood moving.
- 50 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood Stasis needs warmth and gentle movement, never iced drinks. Lotus root is in season at Autumn Equinox and, once cooked, supports digestion and nourishes blood; hawthorn, brown sugar and ginger warm and move the circulation, and the sweet-sour taste perks up the afternoon.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 40 min- 1Scrub and peel the lotus root, slice it 0.5 cm thick and keep it in water so it does not darken. Rinse the hawthorn and red dates.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add the lotus root, hawthorn, red dates and ginger, and boil hard for 5 minutes.
- 3Lower the heat and simmer for 35 minutes, until the lotus root is soft and starchy, then stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.
- 4Drink it warm and eat the lotus root, or pour it into a flask for an afternoon cup at the office.
Cautions
- Avoid during pregnancy, and go easy if your periods are heavy.
- Hawthorn is sour — with excess stomach acid or a stomach ulcer, don't drink it on an empty stomach.
Chef's tips
- Use a claypot or stainless-steel pot; iron turns lotus root dark.
- Seven-hole lotus root cooks up soft and starchy; nine-hole roots stay crunchy.
The TCM view
Hawthorn is sour, sweet and slightly warm; it aids digestion and moves qi and blood. Brown sugar is sweet and warm and gently invigorates blood; old ginger is pungent and warm and dispels cold; cooked lotus root is sweet and warm and supports the spleen and blood; red dates are sweet and warm and nourish blood. Warming without drying, it moves the blood while protecting digestion.
