Monday, March 02, 2009

Herbal Concoction

Potful of goodness : black fungus, red dates and wolfberries

A friend had emailed me a herbal concoction that would help in blood circulation as well as arthritis and other joint pains.

As my fingers often become numb when I rehearse my violin, I decided to give the concoction a try. After all, there is no harm. Morever, the ingredients are very affordable. Cooking them is so much cheaper than buying a bottle full of cococted herbs.

Hence, I would like to share with my readers this great herbal remedy. After taking a few bowls, my blood circulation has improved tremendously, and I can now practise for an hour or two without excessive numbness. In the past, I could only play the violin for a few minutes and then rest in between.

HERBAL CONCOCTION

1) a few ears of black fungus (buy the thicker type of fungus)
2) about 20 to 25 dates
3) about two tablespoons of wolfberries
4) a pot of water
5) a slice of ginger (optional)

METHOD

Soak the fungus in a bowl of water for about 20 to 30 minutes. Tear the expanded fungus into smaller pieces. Put herbs in a slow cooker or non-metallic pot. If an induction stove is used, turn the temperature down to 70 degrees after the water has boiled. Simmer for about 3 to four hours or till water is reduced to half-full.

If cooked on a gas stove, turn down the fire and let it simmer for 5 hours.

Drink warm. Add honey (optional) For me, I won't add honey because the concoction is already quite sweet from the red dates and wolfberries. Add a slice of ginger if you have lots of gas in your stomach.

The Creator has given us so many wonderful herbs to take for our ailment or deficiency. Let's go herbal!!

Gan Chau

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this recipe! Quite timely for my parents...

The Oriental Express said...

Thanks for your comments.

By the way, I forgot to mention that it is ideal to soak the fungus for about 20 to 30 mins so as to soften it and to later cut them into smaller pieces. This way, more extract of the herbs could be made.