Daylily & Fresh Cogon Root Sweet Drink

Why people make this drink

Young children have very delicate nasal membranes. When a toddler or school-age child takes a tumble and bumps their nose, the thin membrane can be easily damaged and may bleed again every few weeks until the child is around ten years old, when the lining thickens naturally. For parents watching their child have yet another nosebleed, it can be worrying and frustrating. This simple, sweet drink is something Cantonese families have long made during these years as a gentle supportive measure. Daylily buds and fresh cogon root are both traditionally associated with cooling “heat in the blood” — the Chinese medicine framework used to describe the internal environment that makes these nosebleeds more likely. The drink is mild in taste and children rarely refuse it.

Method

1. Soak the dried daylily buds in cold water for 30 minutes; drain and discard the soaking water.
2. Rinse the fresh cogon root and cut into sections.
3. Place the daylily buds and cogon root in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until reduced to about 600 ml.
5. Add rock sugar, stir until dissolved, and serve. Drink the full amount over the course of one day.

Nourilo’s Tips

This drink is naturally sweet and lightly herbal — children generally do not object to it. If you want to strengthen the effect, add 3 fresh lotus root nodes (lian ou jie) to the pot when cooking. These are the knobby joints on a lotus root and are also traditionally associated with stopping bleeding.