Fresh Cogongrass Root, Lotus Node & Pear Drink

Why people make this drink

When autumn arrives, the air turns drier and children who are prone to heat can start getting nosebleeds. In traditional food therapy, this is understood as blood heat — too much internal fire drying out the delicate nasal membranes. The good news is that the first response is simple: keep the child calm, hold their head upright, and plug the bleeding nostril gently with a small roll of clean cotton wool. A cold wet cloth pressed on the back of the neck helps too. Once things settle, a drink like this one can be made to help cool things down.

This drink has been a staple of Cantonese grandmothers for generations. It’s mild enough for toddlers yet effective enough for adults, and has a pleasantly sweet, slightly earthy flavor most children will accept willingly.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited to children (and adults) who experience nosebleeds related to dry weather, heat, or after eating fried and spicy foods
• Suitable for children with G6PD deficiency — the ingredients present no known concern for this condition
• Those with a very cold constitution should not drink it in large quantities over a long period; once nosebleeds resolve, stop the course
• Not for nosebleeds caused by injury or trauma — see a doctor in those cases

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Fresh cogongrass root (xian mao gen): One of traditional Chinese medicine’s most respected ingredients for cooling blood heat and helping to stop bleeding. Fresh is significantly more potent than dried. It also supports fluid production and helps clear mild heat from the lungs and stomach
• Lotus rhizome nodes (ou jie): The knotted sections of lotus rhizome are traditionally prized for their haemostatic properties — they help cool the blood and are said to stop bleeding without causing stagnation
• Snow pear (xue li): Cooling, moistening, and gentle — helps lubricate the respiratory tract and adds natural sweetness. It addresses the dryness that predisposes delicate nasal membranes to bleeding

Ingredients (2 bowls, 1 day’s serving)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh cogongrass root	1 bundle (~40 g)	Wash and cut into sections
Lotus rhizome nodes	2 pieces	Wash and chop finely
Snow pear	1 medium	Wash, remove core, cut into chunks — no need to peel
Rock sugar	A small amount	Add at the end, to taste

Method

1. Wash the cogongrass root and cut into short sections. Wash the lotus nodes and chop them finely. Wash the pear, remove the core, and cut into chunks.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 4 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes until reduced to about 2 bowls.
3. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved. Divide and drink throughout the day.

Bro Niu’s tips

When buying lotus rhizome, choose a piece with plenty of nodes — these are the sections where the cylinders connect. Nodes that are sliced off and dried can be kept as a handy pantry item for future use.

Fresh cogongrass root is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and online. If it cannot be sourced, you can use dried cogongrass root (mao gen, dry form) — about 20 g (5 qian) from a Chinese herb shop.

For adults, increase the lotus nodes to 3–4 pieces. The drink is suitable for the whole family.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Alison): My 5-year-old has been getting nosebleeds almost every week for two months. The ENT says her nasal membranes are thin, and the TCM doctor says she has blood heat. What other food therapy can help day-to-day? Bro Niu: This cogongrass, lotus node, and pear drink is a good starting point — 2 servings can help calm blood-heat nosebleeds. As a routine, once a week, the sugarcane, cogongrass, water chestnut, and carrot drink works well for the whole family as a preventive measure.

• Q (Chin Family): My daughter is 6 years old and gets nosebleeds every 2–3 months. Should I keep making this drink even after the nosebleed stops? Bro Niu: Children’s nasal membranes are naturally thinner and more fragile — they tend to improve around age 12 as the tissue thickens naturally. This drink can be made once a week as a gentle ongoing preventive. In general, young children with blood heat don’t need extra blood-building — just the cooling effect.

• Q (reader): If fresh cogongrass root is unavailable in the US, what can I substitute? Bro Niu: If you truly cannot find it, dried golden needle (jin zhen, day lily buds) can substitute in a pinch — it also has a mild blood-cooling action.

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Published August 25, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.