Congees
Red Date, Longan and "Five Reds" Congee (Blood-Boosting Tonic Porridge)
Red date, longan and "Five Reds" congee is an upgraded version of the classic folk Chinese tonic "Five Reds Soup" (red dates, red beans, red-skinned peanuts, brown sugar, and goji berries), with the addition of warming and nourishing longan flesh. The porridge takes on a natural reddish-brown sheen, where the honeyed sweetness of dates, the mellow richness of longan, the nuttiness of peanuts, and the creamy texture of red beans blend perfectly. Every spoonful is warm, sweet and deeply comforting. More than just a sweet porridge, this is a generations-old "best friend to women" – especially suitable after menstruation, during postpartum recovery, or when coping with a sallow, tired complexion. With its five simple red ingredients, it brews a rosy, radiant glow from within – a vivid embodiment of TCM's wisdom of "nourishing the body with corresponding colors and forms."
Main Ingredients
- Glutinous rice (or regular rice) 80g
- Red adzuki beans 30g
- Red-skinned peanuts 30g
- 30g 8 pcs (approx. 25g)
- Dried longan flesh 15g
- Brown cane sugar 20g
- Goji berries 5g
- Water 1.4-1.6L
Steps
Hard Ingredients Soaking (Red Beans, Peanuts, Black Glutinous Rice) Soak red beans for 4 hours or overnight; soak peanuts for 30 minutes. Shell longans, wash red dates and remove their pits.
Pour the soaked red beans, red-skinned peanuts, black glutinous rice and pitted red dates into the stew pot in order.
Add shelled longan pulp, goji berries and brown sugar to the pot, then pour in 1000ml of clean water.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Turn to low heat and simmer for 50–60 minutes until the red beans split open and the porridge turns thick, smooth and deep red.
TCM Notes
Qi and blood tonification (core effect)：Red dates are rich in iron and vitamin C (vitamin C boosts iron absorption by 3–5 times)；the red skin of peanuts contains coagulation factors and vitamin K, which enhance bone marrow hematopoiesis；longan provides glucose, sucrose and multiple amino acids to rapidly replenish the source of qi and blood；iron and folate in brown sugar participate in hemoglobin synthesis – together they significantly improve iron-deficiency anemia marked by cold hands/feet and pale complexion. Spleen-warming & stomach-nourishing：Glutinous rice is warm in nature and sweet in taste, tonifying the middle qi；red beans are rich in dietary fiber and B vitamins, strengthening the spleen, draining dampness and reducing edema；longan acts on the heart and spleen meridians, warming spleen-yang and relieving poor appetite caused by stomach deficiency-cold. Mind-calming & nerve-soothing：Longan is rich in niacin and choline, which regulate autonomic nerve function and ease anxiety and neurasthenia；flavonoids in red dates have sedative and hypnotic effects, improving difficulty falling asleep and restless dreams. Antioxidant & anti-aging：Goji berries are packed with zeaxanthin and lycium polysaccharides – potent antioxidants that scavenge free radicals and protect the retina；anthocyanins in red beans and cyclic AMP in red dates delay cellular aging and enhance immunity. Sustained energy & quality plant protein：Red-skinned peanuts supply unsaturated fatty acids and ~25% plant protein；red beans provide complex carbohydrates；longan and brown sugar offer fast-release glucose – together they form a balanced "fast-slow sugar" release profile for enduring energy.
Suitable for：Those with qi and blood deficiency, manifested as sallow or pale complexion, and pale lips/nails Women with light menstrual flow, painful periods, or needing post-menstrual nourishment Postpartum, post-abortion, or post-illness individuals requiring blood and qi restoration People with cold hands and feet, intolerance to cold, or spleen-kidney yang deficiency Anemia patients (iron-deficiency anemia, nutritional anemia) Mental workers suffering from insomnia, restlessness, or brain overexertion Elderly people with declining digestion and weakened overall vitality
Not suitable for：Diabetics：This porridge contains brown sugar, red dates and longan – all high-glycemic ingredients that cause sharp blood glucose spikes. Avoid entirely, or omit sugar, reduce dates/longan, and consume only in tiny amounts under medical supervision. Damp-heat or excessive phlegm-dampness constitution (yellow greasy tongue coat, oily skin, acne, sticky stools) – this warming, cloying recipe will worsen damp-heat accumulation. Excess-heat constitution or wind-heat colds (fever, sore throat, yellow phlegm, bitter dry mouth) – warming foods will aggravate inflammation. Women with excessively heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding – longan and brown sugar promote blood circulation while peanut skins and dates have mild coagulant effects; those with heavy flow should avoid during menstruation and consume only after bleeding stops. Acute bloating, food stagnation or severe indigestion – glutinous rice and beans produce gas, worsening abdominal distension. Those with severe allergies to peanuts, red dates, or any other ingredient (strictly avoid).
