Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Longan Sweet Soup

Why people make this sweet soup

Sometimes life gets stressful in entirely ordinary ways — parents anxiously preparing for school admissions, adults managing work pressure, teenagers facing exams. Chronic low-grade anxiety, restless nights, and that frazzled, depleted feeling are the kinds of everyday struggles this gentle sweet soup has been made for in Chinese households for generations. In traditional food therapy, lotus seeds, lily bulb, and longan together are said to nourish the heart and spleen — the organ systems associated with housing the spirit and governing blood. The result is a dessert that is genuinely pleasant to eat, simple to prepare, and soothing in a very real sense. A bowl before bed is a small but meaningful act of self-care.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family, children and elderly included
• Particularly helpful for those experiencing insomnia, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, or irritability
• Also associated with nourishing the blood and supporting skin health
• Pregnant women: omit the dried longan and replace with 6 south jujube dates (nan zao)

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Lotus seeds (lian zi): Traditionally used to strengthen the spleen, nourish the heart, and settle the mind; lotus seeds with the green embryo removed are somewhat cooling; keeping the embryo makes them more calming but slightly bitter
• Dried lily bulb (bai he): Clears heat from the heart and lungs; calms nervous tension, irritability, and anxiety; a classic ingredient in formulas for emotional support
• Dried longan flesh (yuan rou): Strongly nourishes heart blood and calms the spirit; associated with easing insomnia and palpitations; warming in nature; not suitable during pregnancy

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Lotus seeds	37 g (1 liang)	Soak and rinse; remove green embryo for milder taste
Dried lily bulb	37 g (1 liang)	Soak and rinse
Dried longan flesh	19 g (5 qian)	Rinse; pregnant women replace with 6 south jujube dates
Rock sugar	To taste	Add at the end
Water	6 bowls (~1.5 L)	Reduces to about 3–4 bowls

Method

1. Soak and rinse the lotus seeds and dried lily bulb. Rinse the longan flesh.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 6 bowls of water.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
4. Cook for 45 minutes until the lotus seeds are tender.
5. Add rock sugar, stir until dissolved, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bro Niu’s tips

This sweet soup is one of those recipes Bro Niu recommends keeping in rotation — it is suitable for all ages, tastes good warm or chilled, and has no ingredients that are hard to find or expensive. For pregnant women, swapping the longan for south jujube dates (nan zao) gives a similarly warming and blood-nourishing result that is safe throughout pregnancy.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (rainrain): My elderly parent has depression. What soups or drinks might support them? I found a reference to wheat grain, honey-fried licorice, poria wood, lily bulb, and red dates — is this helpful? Can it be taken continuously? Bro Niu: For depression, family support and understanding is the most important thing. You can try: wheat grain (xiao mai mi, 2 liang), honey-fried licorice (zhi gan cao, 2 qian), poria wood (fu shen, 1 liang), lily bulb (1 liang), red dates (5 pieces), in 10 bowls of water simmered to 4–5 bowls. The whole family can drink it. Give the elderly person 2 bowls a day, split between morning and afternoon or morning and evening. You can take it continuously for a week; if you see improvement, pause for 2 days and then do another 3 doses. Wheat grain (xiao mai mi) is the same kind used for congee and is available at grocery stores and Chinese herb shops. Dried lily bulb is more effective than fresh.

• Q (Venus): I have yin deficiency with internal fire, and I have insomnia during my period. Is there a food therapy to help? Bro Niu: You can try: schisandra berries (wu wei zi, 3 qian), honey-fried licorice (zhi gan cao, 2 qian), dried lily bulb (bai he, 5 qian), in 4 bowls of water reduced to 2 bowls. Three doses in a row. This can be taken during menstruation — bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

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Published December 15, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.