Fruits are not only the commonly seen apples, bananas, pears, etc., but also a fruit that can be used as both traditional medicine and food ingredient. It is called longan, and it tastes a bit like chestnuts. After boiling, carefully peel off the three layers of skin of the fruit pit, and you can eat the yellow substance that looks like egg yolk. The nutritional value of longan soup is even more abundant.
【Longan Soup】
Longan is a plant belonging to the family Sapindaceae. It blooms in early summer and produces large red fruits in July and August. When the ripe longan fruits split, they separate into four or five smaller fruits. The outer skin is dark red, and the inner flesh is dark brown oval-shaped seeds.
Because it resembles eyes from a distance, and the edible part is the dark brown seeds, it is commonly known as "longan fruit" in folk.
Longan fruit is commonly found in Jiangmen, Panyu, and Shunde areas, and is a type of seasonal ingredient.
Longan Soup Recipe:
1. After the water boils, add ginger slices, chicken pieces, chicken feet, Buddha's hand melon, wolfberries, honey dates, red dates, and peeled longan.
2. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours, add salt to taste.
【Nutritional Value of Longan】
Longan can detoxify, relieve nausea and bloating, improve immunity, replenish energy, improve eyesight, and aid digestion.
Longan can be eaten directly after being cooked. The flesh of the peeled longan seed is soft and white, resembling a small bird's egg. It is delicate and beautiful, similar in taste to chestnuts, with a slightly sweet and fragrant flavor. It even has a texture similar to egg yolk. Not only does it have a rich flavor, but it also has the ability to aid digestion, detoxify and promote blood circulation, and kill intestinal worms.
In addition, the rhizome of longan can also be used to treat stomach pain, gastritis, paralysis, injuries, fractures, external bleeding, rheumatic pain in the lower back and legs, etc.
【Medicinal Benefits and Effects of Longan】
Longan is mainly used to aid digestion, detoxify, and kill parasites. It is used for vomiting, abdominal pain caused by parasites, hernia pain, and childhood scalp sores.
1. Longan can improve memory.
Longan contains various beneficial trace elements for the human body. Phosphorus and zinc are the most important elements in longan. It also contains some phospholipids, which can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human brain and central nervous system. It can improve brain cell activity and significantly enhance memory. It is most suitable for people who use their brains frequently.
2. Longan can protect the eyes.
Longan is rich in vitamin A, which has a direct effect on the human visual nerves. It can prevent visual impairment and retinal degeneration, and reduce the occurrence of night blindness. In addition, longan also contains some active ingredients and phenolic substances, which can regulate the digestive system, promote physical development, and clear free radicals in the body, benefiting anti-aging and improving physical fitness.
3. Longan can lower cholesterol.
Longan contains a large amount of fatty acids, most of which are unsaturated fatty acids. After entering the body, they can promote fat metabolism and excretion, reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the body, decompose and excrete cholesterol in the body, soften blood vessels, and lower high blood lipids.
