Diet,  Recipe,  Winter,  Yangsheng

Nourish and Store Energy for the Year to Come: Recipe for the Greater Snow 大雪 Solar Term

Da Bu Yang Cang Tang (大补养藏汤) might be translated as something like “Great Nourishing and Storing Soup” is a widely-recommended yangsheng (“nourishing life”) recipe for this time or year–starting from the Greater Snow (Da Xue 大雪) Solar Term (December 6th in 2024) and onwards for about the next month. 

This time of year to reduce excess physical exertion, increase stillness meditation and nourish the body’s storage capacity. Our Yang Qi has retreated to the interior and we want to carefully nourish it during this time. 

This soup nourishes the five internal “zang” organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. It is especially nourishing for the kidneys. It nourishes kidney qi, kidney essence (jing ), kidney yin, and kidney yang. It will replenish qi and blood. 

Ingredients

  • 6 walnuts 核桃 (whole walnuts if possible)
  • 6 chestnuts 栗子 (with skin if possible)
  • 6 longan 桂圆 (guiyuan)
  • 6 lotus seeds 莲子 (lianzi) 
  • A handful of raisins 葡萄干
  • A small handful of goji berries 枸杞
  • A pinch of aged tangerine peel 陈皮 (chenpi) 

The chestnuts nourish the stomach and intestines and replenish kidney qi. Walnuts tonify the kidney, warm the lungs, and moisten the intestines. The lotus seeds nourish the heart, calms the spirit, and astinge jing. The goji berries tonify the kidneys, benefit the jing, nourish the liver, replenish blood and calm the mind. Longan further nourishes the blood, and chenpi helps to relieve spleen/stomach stagnation. 

Instructions

Prep:

  • Soak the lotus seeds for at least a couple of hours (or even overnight) for best results. 
  • Remove walnut shells but keep some of the membrane around the walnut kernels if you have them. 
  • Keep the inner skin around the chestnuts if you have it. 
  • Remove the longan shells. 

Cooking:

  • Place all of the ingredients in a small pot except for the goji berries. 
  • Add water and bring to a boil. 
  • Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 20-40 minutes. 
  • Pick out the chestnuts skins at this point and throw away. 
  • Add goji berries and simmer for a couple more minutes with them in.

You can add a pinch of brown sugar or a small scoop of honey to taste if desired. The soup is ready to eat. All you can eat the ingredients and drink the soup. Many people prefer to pick out the tangerine peel rather than eat it. Keep in mind that the longan have pits in them, so be careful when eating them.