Longan, walnut & fox nut cream
A rich walnut cream with fox nuts and longan — sweet enough without added sugar, and warming right through.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yang Deficiency means feeling the cold, with chilly hands and feet, and cold, damp Rain Water weather makes it worse. Walnuts and longan warm the kidneys and nourish the heart and spleen, and fox nut firms digestion against damp — a warm bowl instead of a cold drink.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min- 1Rinse the fox nuts and rice and soak for 2 hours, or overnight.
- 2Toast the walnuts in a dry wok over low heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant, or air-fry at 160°C for 5 minutes.
- 3Drain the fox nuts and rice, then put them in a soy milk maker with the walnuts, longan and 700 ml water and choose the rice paste setting (about 25 minutes).
- 4No soy milk maker? Blend until smooth, pour into a pot and cook over low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick.
- 5Drink hot, or pour into a flask and take it to the office for the afternoon.
Cautions
- Contains walnuts (tree nuts) — avoid if you have a nut allergy.
- Pause it when you have signs of heat such as a dry mouth, sore throat or spots.
Chef's tips
- The longan already sweetens it, so skip the sugar; if you really want more, add no more than 1 tsp slab sugar.
The TCM view
Walnuts are sweet and warm and support kidney yang and the lungs; longan is sweet and warm and nourishes the heart and spleen; fox nut is sweet, astringent and neutral, supports the kidneys and spleen and dispels dampness; rice is sweet and neutral and settles the stomach. Gently warming without dryness — suited to low yang in cold, damp weather.
