Dayflower and Lophatherum (Bamboo Leaf) Soup

Why people make this soup

Passing a stall of wild herbs, Nourilo spotted fresh dayflower — a wild plant whose tender leaves can even be eaten as a vegetable, though it is more often used medicinally. Dayflower is traditionally used to cool the blood, drain dampness and ease urination; paired with lophatherum (a bamboo-style leaf), it is traditionally taken to bring down heat and increase urine flow. This is a folk soup associated with supporting the body during summer colds, sore throat and difficult urination.

Method

1. Wash the dayflower and lophatherum.
2. Add 1.5 L of water and simmer about 1 hour until reduced to about 900 ml.
3. Drink in 3 portions over the day.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is traditionally associated with bringing down heat, easing phlegm, calming a cough and supporting healthy blood pressure. But because dayflower can mildly stimulate the uterus and constrict blood vessels, and is cooling by nature, it is not suitable for pregnant women or those with a cold, weak spleen and stomach.