Wood Lotus Fruit is a dual-purpose ingredient used in both medicine and food. It has a unique appearance and has the effect of clearing heat and reducing swelling. Not to mention it can be used to make various delicious dishes. Let's learn about the methods of using Wood Lotus Fruit for cooking!
Wood Lotus Fruit is a tall tree that can grow up to 20 meters. The young branches and buds are covered with reddish-brown short hairs. The leaves are alternate; leaf stalks are 1-3cm long; leaf scars are semi-elliptical and about 3-4cm long.
The leaves of Wood Lotus Fruit are leathery, narrowly oval to elliptic-lanceolate, 8-17cm long, 2.5-5.5cm wide, with an acute apex, usually obtuse, wedge-shaped base, slightly curled edges, and sparsely reddish-brown hairy undersides. There are 8-12 pairs of lateral veins.
Flower stalks are 6-18mm long, covered with reddish-brown short and soft hairs, bracts fall off, leaving a scar ring.
The calyx has 9 petals, white in color. The outer whorl has 3 petals, elongate-obovate, 6-7cm long, and the inner whorl has 2 petals, inversely ovate, 5-6cm long. There are many stamens, about 1cm long, with protruding blunt triangular anthers; the pistils are many, with a pistil cluster about 1.5cm long.
The aggregate fruit is inversely ovate, deep red in color, and becomes woody and purplish-red when ripe. The seeds are elliptical, 6-7cm long, and red in color. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from August to October.
1. Wood Lotus Fruit Tea
You can directly process Wood Lotus Fruit and use it to make tea. The tea should be made with boiling water and consumed daily. It can help improve physical condition and treat cough, although the medicinal effect is slightly slower.
2. Wood Lotus Fruit Decoction for Cough Treatment
For patients with severe cough, it is recommended to directly decoct Wood Lotus Fruit. The dosage should be about 5 qian (15 grams) each time.
3. Used for Soup
Use Wood Lotus Fruit as an ingredient in soup for stronger health benefits.
Method for cooking Wood Lotus Fruit porridge:
Ingredients: Wood Lotus Fruit, Euryale Ferox (peeled) each 60 grams, fresh lotus leaf (palm-sized), a suitable amount of glutinous rice for cooking porridge.
Effects: Treats weak spleen and stomach, loose stools, palpitations, insomnia, lumbago and excessive vaginal discharge in women, and those with weak constitution.
