Congee & Porridge
Radish-Seed (Lai Fu Zi) and Black Sesame Congee
Traditionally used to help loosen phlegm and ease wheezy, phlegmy cough
Why people make this congee
Nourilo notes that older people — especially long-time smokers — often build up a lot of phlegm, and may develop a chronic, wheezy cough with a tight, full chest. Radish seed (lai fu zi) is simply the seed of the common radish; in tradition it is used to move stuck food and “send qi downward,” helping to loosen phlegm. Toasted and ground with black sesame and cooked into a soft rice congee, it becomes a warm, easy-to-eat bowl that is associated with easing a phlegmy, wheezy cough.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Older people with a chronic, phlegmy, wheezy cough and a sense of chest fullness
- Children with a phlegmy cough — Nourilo says one bowl a day is enough for a child
- As with any persistent cough, if it does not settle or worsens, see a doctor
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Radish seed (lai fu zi): traditionally used to relieve food stagnation and to move and descend qi, helping to loosen phlegm and ease wheeze.
- Black sesame (hei zhi ma): nourishing and lubricating; rounds out the congee and is traditionally associated with moistening.
- White rice (bai mi): the gentle, easily digested base.
Ingredients (1–2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Radish seeds | ~19 g (5 qian) | Dry-toasted, then ground |
| Black sesame | ~19 g (5 qian) | Dry-toasted, then ground |
| White rice | ~75 g (2 taels) | Rinsed |
| Oil and salt | a little |
Method
- Dry-toast the radish seeds and black sesame in a clean pan until fragrant, then grind to a powder.
- Rinse the rice and add a little oil and salt.
- Cook the rice into a soft congee, stirring in the ground seed-and-sesame powder.
- Eat as desired.
Nourilo’s Tips
This congee also suits children with a phlegmy cough — one bowl a day is plenty for a child. Radish seeds (lai fu zi) can be bought at a Chinese herbal pharmacy.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Amy): Where can I buy radish seed (lai fu zi)? Nourilo: Radish seed is sold at Chinese herbal pharmacies.
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Q (Wong): A 90-year-old in good health gets a month-long cough whenever chilled; this time it’s been almost two months with a lot of white phlegm. The doctor says the lungs are clear, but the cough medicine makes him very sleepy and the family doesn’t want too much medication. Any suggestions? Nourilo: Try pinellia (fa xia), poria (fu ling) and white atractylodes (bai zhu) 3 qian each, tangerine peel (chen pi) 2 qian, 3 slices fresh ginger and 5 pitted red dates; simmer 5 bowls of water down to 2, drink, for 3–4 batches. It is traditionally used to help loosen phlegm and ease cough.
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Q (anonymous): My baby (15 months) had bronchitis; the doctor says it’s a normal cold cough now but he still coughs day and night and can’t cough up the phlegm. What can I do? Nourilo: You can put perilla seed (su zi) and radish seed (lai fu zi) 3 qian each into a tea bag and cook it into a lean-pork congee for the baby, traditionally used to loosen phlegm. For more phlegm, steam 1 peeled, chopped onion over water for 20 minutes, press out the juice with a spoon and give that — it is also traditionally used to ease cough.
Published October 26, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
