Longan American Ginseng Paste (Yu Ling Gao)

Why people make this tonic

There is a classical Chinese food-therapy preparation called Yu Ling Gao — literally “Jade Efficacy Paste” — first recorded by the Qing-dynasty physician Wang Mengying, who called for steaming longan flesh with American ginseng powder for 40 hours or more to mellow the warming nature of the longan. Nourilo came across a supply of wild American ginseng powder and decided to try a shortened three-to-four-hour steam to see whether the resulting paste would be worth making at home. The result was a fragrant, naturally sweet tonic that the whole family can share a spoonful of each day.

Longan flesh is traditionally regarded as nourishing to the heart and spleen, supporting qi and blood, and calming the mind. American ginseng is valued for its gentler, cooler quality compared with regular ginseng — making the combination particularly suited to people whose constitution tends toward heat or dryness yet who also feel depleted, forgetful, or prone to disturbed sleep.