Donkey-Hide Gelatin Tonic Paste (Gu Yuan Gao)

Why people make this paste

A friend of mine had a run-down constitution — often dizzy, with sore lower back, easily cold, and catching colds at the drop of a hat. She had bought a box of donkey-hide gelatin (e jiao) but had no idea how to use it. To help build her up steadily, I suggested turning it into a sweet paste with a few nourishing add-ins, taken a spoonful or two a day. The ingredients are simple, but the making takes patience. For women especially, this paste is a well-loved traditional tonic — taken regularly it is associated with a brighter complexion and with nourishing yin and blood.

Method

1. Break the e jiao into small pieces and soak in the Shaoxing wine for 1 day.
2. Dry-toast the walnuts and black sesame in a clean pan until fragrant. Wash and pit the red dates. Grind the walnuts and red dates fine in a food processor (or chop fine by hand).
3. Steam the wine-soaked e jiao over water until fully melted. Stir in the walnut, sesame and date mixture plus the rock sugar, then steam about 1 more hour, stirring now and then with chopsticks to keep it even.
4. Let cool and divide into clean glass jars. Take 1–2 tablespoons a day with warm water.

Nourilo’s Tips

The paste tastes good and suits men, women and frail children — but skip it if your spleen and stomach are weak or you have an unresolved cold. For frail children, halve the dose and use the milder osmanthus aged wine. Keep one small jar at room temperature for everyday use and refrigerate the rest; a quick 5-minute steam refreshes refrigerated paste.