Soups

Snow Jelly (Saponaria Seed) Sweet Soup with Longan, Goji and Red Dates

traditionally associated with nourishing the skin, supporting liver health, and promoting a healthy complexion

In short: Snow Jelly (Saponaria Seed) Sweet Soup with Longan, Goji and Red Dates is a soup that traditionally associated with nourishing the skin, supporting liver health, and promoting a healthy complexion. It is most often made for women's wellness, skin & natural beauty, liver wellness. Total time about 510 min. Key ingredients: longan flesh, goji berries, red dates, rock sugar.

Prep
480 min
Cook
30 min
Total
510 min
Makes
900 ml
Snow Jelly (Saponaria Seed) Sweet Soup with Longan, Goji and Red Dates

Why people make this sweet soup

Snow jelly — sold under names like “Tian Shan Xue Lian Zi” or saponaria seeds (zao jiao mi) — is a small, pale, translucent kernel from the honey locust plant, grown mainly in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. It is available at Chinese herb shops and Asian grocers, or online. After soaking for eight to ten hours, the seeds turn wonderfully soft and chewy — a real pleasure to eat and an ideal ingredient for a sweet dessert soup. Paired with longan flesh, goji berries, and red dates, this combination is traditionally thought to nourish the complexion, support clear eyesight, and slow the appearance of aging. It is also considered beneficial for new mothers — not only for skin care but also for supporting milk production.

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.

  • Goji berries · Meta-analysis, 161 participants · 2012
    Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries studies
  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    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.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium

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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