Walnut, also known as huzhang, is an outstanding food for skin care. It has been highly praised for its skin-beautifying and health-promoting effects in ancient medical books, claiming that it can "stimulate meridians, nourish blood vessels, darken hair, and make the skin smooth and radiant." "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that walnut has the functions of "darkening hair, strengthening essence, treating dryness, and regulating blood."
Famous Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang was particularly fond of walnut porridge as a dietary therapy for skin care. As a result, his skin was smooth and tender.
The recipe for walnut porridge is as follows: fry 20 grams of soybeans and 10 grams of white atractylodes together, grind them into powder, and set aside. When cooking porridge, take 60 grams of rice, 30 grams of crushed walnut kernels, 30 grams of soybean and white atractylodes powder, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Cook until it becomes a paste and take it once a day.
Walnut kernel stewed with silkworm pupa is a commonly used beauty and nourishing product in folk medicine. Each time, take 40 grams of walnut kernels, 50 grams of silkworm pupa (slightly fried), and 30 grams of rock sugar. Stew and take it once a day. Long-term consumption can make the skin smooth and delicate, remove pigmentation, prevent skin aging, and have special effects on lip and nail dullness, premature greying of hair, and sallow complexion.
Walnut is not only an excellent product for anti-aging and skin care, but also an effective medicine for warming the kidneys, benefiting the lungs, and relieving asthma. "Gentiana Walnut Soup" from "Ji Sheng Fang" uses 10 grams of ginseng, 30 grams of walnut kernels, and 10 grams of fresh ginger, decocted in water and taken once a day. It is suitable for those with deficient lungs and kidneys, persistent cough and asthma, and restless sleep. "Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescriptions" records a formula: 250 grams of walnut kernels, 60 grams of apricot kernels, 50 grams of fresh ginger, and 250 grams of honey. Grind the first three ingredients into a paste and add honey to make a paste. Take 10 grams in the morning and evening. Long-term consumption has the functions of strengthening the body, nourishing the kidneys and lungs, and relieving asthma and cough.
