Soups
Dayflower and Lophatherum (Bamboo Leaf) Soup
Traditionally used to clear heat and promote urination
Why people make this soup
Passing a stall of wild herbs, Bro Niu spotted fresh dayflower — a wild plant whose tender leaves can even be eaten as a vegetable, though it is more often used medicinally. Dayflower is traditionally used to cool the blood, drain dampness and ease urination; paired with lophatherum (a bamboo-style leaf), it is traditionally taken to bring down heat and increase urine flow. This is a folk soup associated with supporting the body during summer colds, sore throat and difficult urination.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Adults wanting a cooling drink during hot weather, summer colds, sore throat or scanty urination.
- NOT suitable for pregnant women — dayflower may mildly stimulate the uterus and constrict blood vessels.
- NOT suitable for those with a cold, weak spleen and stomach, as the soup is cooling.
- For a high or persistent fever, see a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Dayflower (ya zhi cao): traditionally used to cool the blood, “resolve toxin,” drain dampness and promote urination.
- Lophatherum / bamboo leaf (dan zhu ye): traditionally paired to help bring down heat and increase urine flow.
Ingredients (3 cups, one day)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh dayflower (ya zhi cao) | ~75 g | Rinse well |
| Lophatherum / bamboo leaf (dan zhu ye) | 2 bundles | Rinse well |
Method
- Wash the dayflower and lophatherum.
- Add 5 bowls of water and simmer about 1 hour until reduced to about 3 bowls.
- Drink in 3 portions over the day.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is traditionally associated with bringing down heat, easing phlegm, calming a cough and supporting healthy blood pressure. But because dayflower can mildly stimulate the uterus and constrict blood vessels, and is cooling by nature, it is not suitable for pregnant women or those with a cold, weak spleen and stomach.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (He Ning): My son has a fever of 101°F with headache and body aches and has taken fever medicine. Can I cook lophatherum with antelope-horn shavings as a drink? And eat 6–7 water chestnuts to cool down? Bro Niu: You can use lophatherum with antelope-horn shavings as a cooling drink for fever. Water chestnut can be cooked into a congee with fresh beancurd skin to help clear heat — but do not eat it raw, as it can carry parasite eggs.
Published June 22, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
