Schisandra and Red Date Congee

Why people make this congee

In recent years schisandra (wu wei zi) has often been used for nervous exhaustion and sleeplessness. In traditional food therapy it is also valued for supporting the liver — cooked into a congee and eaten regularly, it is associated with easing the load on a strained liver. This gentle congee pairs it with red dates for a softer, more nourishing bowl.

Method

1. Rinse the schisandra, red dates and rice.
2. Add water and simmer into a congee of medium thickness.
3. Stir in rock sugar until dissolved. Take twice a day; a course runs about 15 days.

Nourilo’s Tips

Some people get mild upper-stomach discomfort from schisandra. If the stomach reaction is noticeable, cook it with spleen-supporting herbs like Chinese yam (huai shan) and poria (fu ling). If congee feels hard to swallow, you can instead simmer 11 g crushed schisandra with a few slices of licorice and 6 red dates in 1.5 L of water for 1 hour down to 600 ml, taken as a tea over the day — its compounds dissolve more readily with licorice.