Congee & Porridge
Radish-Seed (Lai Fu Zi) and Black Sesame Congee
Traditionally used to help loosen phlegm and ease wheezy, phlegmy cough
Why people make this congee
Bro Niu notes that older people — especially long-time smokers — often build up a lot of phlegm, and may develop a chronic, wheezy cough with a tight, full chest. Radish seed (lai fu zi) is simply the seed of the common radish; in tradition it is used to move stuck food and “send qi downward,” helping to loosen phlegm. Toasted and ground with black sesame and cooked into a soft rice congee, it becomes a warm, easy-to-eat bowl that is associated with easing a phlegmy, wheezy cough.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Older people with a chronic, phlegmy, wheezy cough and a sense of chest fullness
- Children with a phlegmy cough — Bro Niu says one bowl a day is enough for a child
- As with any persistent cough, if it does not settle or worsens, see a doctor
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Radish seed (lai fu zi): traditionally used to relieve food stagnation and to move and descend qi, helping to loosen phlegm and ease wheeze.
- Black sesame (hei zhi ma): nourishing and lubricating; rounds out the congee and is traditionally associated with moistening.
- White rice (bai mi): the gentle, easily digested base.
Ingredients (1–2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Radish seeds | ~19 g (5 qian) | Dry-toasted, then ground |
| Black sesame | ~19 g (5 qian) | Dry-toasted, then ground |
| White rice | ~75 g (2 taels) | Rinsed |
| Oil and salt | a little |
Method
- Dry-toast the radish seeds and black sesame in a clean pan until fragrant, then grind to a powder.
- Rinse the rice and add a little oil and salt.
- Cook the rice into a soft congee, stirring in the ground seed-and-sesame powder.
- Eat as desired.
Bro Niu’s tips
This congee also suits children with a phlegmy cough — one bowl a day is plenty for a child. Radish seeds (lai fu zi) can be bought at a Chinese herbal pharmacy.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Amy): Where can I buy radish seed (lai fu zi)? Bro Niu: Radish seed is sold at Chinese herbal pharmacies.
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Q (Wong): A 90-year-old in good health gets a month-long cough whenever chilled; this time it’s been almost two months with a lot of white phlegm. The doctor says the lungs are clear, but the cough medicine makes him very sleepy and the family doesn’t want too much medication. Any suggestions? Bro Niu: Try pinellia (fa xia), poria (fu ling) and white atractylodes (bai zhu) 3 qian each, tangerine peel (chen pi) 2 qian, 3 slices fresh ginger and 5 pitted red dates; simmer 5 bowls of water down to 2, drink, for 3–4 batches. It is traditionally used to help loosen phlegm and ease cough.
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Q (anonymous): My baby (15 months) had bronchitis; the doctor says it’s a normal cold cough now but he still coughs day and night and can’t cough up the phlegm. What can I do? Bro Niu: You can put perilla seed (su zi) and radish seed (lai fu zi) 3 qian each into a tea bag and cook it into a lean-pork congee for the baby, traditionally used to loosen phlegm. For more phlegm, steam 1 peeled, chopped onion over water for 20 minutes, press out the juice with a spoon and give that — it is also traditionally used to ease cough.
Published October 26, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
