The use of balloon flower is very extensive in daily life. It has the effects of ventilating the lungs, soothing the throat, relieving phlegm, and draining pus in medicine. In addition to being used as medicine, balloon flower can also be used as a food ingredient. Let's introduce several dietary methods of balloon flower.
Method 1: Stewed Pig Lungs with Balloon Flower
Ingredients: 10g balloon flower, 10g violet, 10g almond, 15g dihuapi, 5g American ginseng, 2 pig lungs.
Method: Cut the pig lungs into pieces, squeeze and press them with hands to remove foam, wash and put them into boiling water, then remove and put them into a stew pot. Wash the balloon flower, violet, almond, American ginseng, and dihuapi, and put them into the stew pot. Add an appropriate amount of water and stew for about 3 hours. Season and serve.
Effects: Moistens the lungs and relieves coughing.
Method 2: Dandelion and Balloon Flower Soup
Ingredients: 60g fresh dandelion, 10g balloon flower, a little sugar.
Method: Wash the dandelion and cut it into small pieces. Put it into a pot with the balloon flower, boil with water to remove impurities and extract about half a bowl of juice. Add a little sugar and simmer.
Effects: Balloon flower disperses exterior, relieves sore throat, eliminates phlegm, and drains pus. The crude soap contained in balloon flower has various effects such as antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, expectorant, anti-allergic, analgesic, inhibition of gastric secretion, and anti-gastric ulcer. When combined with dandelion, its phlegm-eliminating, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects are greatly enhanced.
Method 3: Balloon Flower with Melon and Vegetables
Ingredients: 150g fresh balloon flower, 50g cucumber, chili sauce, vinegar, salt.
Method: 1. Wash the fresh balloon flower, peel off the black skin, gently squeeze out the water, and blanch it in boiling water for a moment. Remove and slice. Remove the core of the cucumber and slice it, slightly pickle with salt. 2. Put the balloon flower and cucumber together, add chili sauce and vinegar, mix well.
Effects: This dish is made by combining balloon flower with cooling and detoxifying cucumber, which has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting diuresis, and relieving irritability. It is suitable for sore throat, cough due to external pathogens, thirst, restlessness, red and swollen eyes, and other symptoms.
Method 4: Balloon Flower Soup
Ingredients: 3 parts of balloon flower (shredded, fried), 1 liang and 1 fen of pinellia (soaked in soup and washed 7 times, fried with ginger juice), 3 fen of white atractylodes, 1 fen of licorice (roasted and shredded), half a liang of cinnamon (peeled), half a liang of white peony, 1 liang and a half of scrophularia.
Method: Grind the ingredients into coarse powder. Take 3 qian (about 9g) per serving, add 1 cup of water and half a fen (about 1g) of ginger (crushed), simmer until 7 parts remain, remove the dregs, add 1 fen (about 2g) of rock sugar, take on an empty stomach, and simmer again before bedtime.
Effects: Treats asthenia syndrome, restlessness, and sleeplessness at night. Source: "Sheng Ji Zong Lu" Volume 90.
Method 5: Balloon Flower and Winter Melon Soup
Ingredients: 150g winter melon, 9g balloon flower, 9g almond, 6g licorice, salt, garlic, scallion, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate (all to taste).
Method: Wash the winter melon, cut it into pieces, stir-fry with oil and salt, add an appropriate amount of water, then simmer together with almond, balloon flower, and licorice. When cooked, add salt, garlic, and other seasonings, and drink one dose daily.
Effects: This soup is suitable for patients with acute bronchitis.
Method 6: Balloon Flower and Radish Soup
Ingredients: 1 white radish, 10g hundred parts, 6g balloon flower, 3 small pieces of ginger.
Method: Slice the white radish, ginger, hundred parts, and balloon flower and place them in a pot. Add 1 bowl of water and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the residue, add honey, and drink it while hot.
Effects: Suitable for dry throat pain caused by dry climate, red and dry eyes, cracked lips, loss of appetite, and dry stools.
