Congees
Wheat and Red Date Porridge
Wheat and Red Date Porridge is a classic medicinal porridge with a history of over a thousand years, originating from the "Gan Mai Da Zao Tang" (Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Decoction) in Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases. Wheat calms the heart and relieves restlessness; red dates tonify the middle and supplement qi. Cooked with rice, the porridge is thick, creamy, and gently sweet. It is renowned for nourishing the heart, calming the mind, strengthening the spleen and stomach, clearing heat, stopping sweating, and relieving restlessness. It is especially suitable for those with palpitations, insomnia, hysteria (Zang Zao), spontaneous sweating, night sweats, and spleen-deficiency diarrhea.
Main Ingredients
- Floating wheat (or Huai wheat) 50g
- Red dates (jujubes) 10 pieces
- Glutinous rice (or japonica rice) 100g
- Licorice root 10g
- Dried longan pulp 15g
- White sugar or rock sugar to taste
- Water 1200ml
Steps
Remove impurities from wheat and rice, rinse well; wash red dates and remove pits.
Enjoy as a meal accompaniment. One dose daily.
Enjoy as a meal accompaniment. One dose daily.
TCM Notes
Wheat (Floating/Huai wheat) : Sweet in taste, cool (floating) or neutral (Huai) in nature, acts on the Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney meridians. Rich in B vitamins and minerals. Known to nourish the heart, relieve restlessness, strengthen the spleen, and quench thirst. Floating wheat stops excessive sweating and has astringent properties; Huai wheat calms the mind, improving restlessness and insomnia. Red dates (jujubes) : Sweet in taste, warm in nature, acts on the Spleen and Stomach meridians. Rich in vitamins A, C, E, P, biotin, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Known to tonify the middle, supplement qi, nourish blood, calm the mind, and moderate herbal properties. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in dates helps dilate blood vessels and strengthen heart contractions, benefiting cardiovascular health. Rice (glutinous/japonica) : Glutinous rice warms the middle and strengthens the spleen and stomach; japonica rice harmonizes the stomach and stops diarrhea. Both provide carbohydrates and energy. Together, they achieve the synergistic effects of nourishing the heart, calming the mind, strengthening the spleen and stomach, clearing heat, and stopping sweating.
Suitable for：Those with heart-blood deficiency and restlessness: Palpitations, insomnia, dreaminess, restlessness Women with Zang Zao (hysteria) : Mental confusion, frequent yawning, sadness, and weeping Those with spontaneous sweating or night sweats Those with spleen-deficiency diarrhea: Weak spleen and stomach, loose stools Those with neurasthenia or nervous tension General population as a daily wellness porridge
Not suitable for：Those with internal excess heat: High fever, red face, dry mouth, constipation – should avoid Those with external pathogenic conditions: Colds, fever, chills without sweating – should avoid Those allergic to wheat or red dates Diabetic patients: Red dates and sugar are high in carbohydrates – strictly control portion size
