Soups
Poria, Black Sesame, Walnut & Black Rice Sweet Soup
Traditionally used to nourish liver and kidneys, warm the channels, and ease period pain related to cold and blood deficiency
In short: Poria, Black Sesame, Walnut & Black Rice Sweet Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to nourish liver and kidneys, warm the channels, and ease period pain related to cold and blood deficiency. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, women's wellness, children's wellness. Total time about 100 min. Key ingredients: poria, black sesame seeds, walnuts, red jujube dates.
Why people make this soup
Period pain (dysmenorrhoea) in traditional Chinese food therapy is often linked to either emotional stress restricting the flow of blood, or a cold, damp pattern in the uterine channel — particularly in women who habitually eat cold foods, drink iced beverages, or swim during their period. Over time, this “cold stagnation” pattern causes menstrual blood to flow sluggishly and painfully. This soup takes a gentle warming and nourishing approach: the black ingredients (black sesame, walnut, black rice) are traditionally associated with deeply nourishing the kidneys and liver, while poria calms and strengthens the spleen-stomach network, and adzuki beans support blood building. The result is a naturally sweet, sesame-fragrant soup that families can enjoy together — not just women with period concerns.
Method
- Soak all ingredients separately for 20–30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- Remove pits from the dates.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours until liquid reduces to about 1.2 L.
- Serve as a sweet soup. No extra sugar is needed — the dates and rice provide natural sweetness — but a small piece of rock sugar or brown sugar can be added if desired.
Nourilo’s Tips
This is one of Nourilo’s favourite all-family soups — sweet, fragrant with sesame, and genuinely delicious. It suits the whole household, not just women. Black sesame seeds can be lightly toasted in a dry pan before adding to the pot to bring out their nutty aroma. For a heartier version, add a few pieces of lean pork or chicken. Women can drink this during their period without worry — the formula is nourishing rather than strongly moving. It is also excellent for menopausal women who feel weak, prone to water retention, or whose hair has started to grey early.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Walnuts
Office systolic BP changed by -4.61 mm Hg with walnuts versus -0.59 mm Hg in controls (P=0.051); 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP difference was not significant (P=0.111). No diastolic BP changes were observed.Limitation: Only 236 of 305 participants (75%) completed the study, and the main between-group differences did not reach conventional significance.PubMed 30879358 · 2 more walnuts studies - Adzuki beans
Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study - Red dates
Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates studies
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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