Walnut Partition (Fen Xin Mu), Lotus Seed, Fox Nut & Ginkgo Soup

Why people make this soup

Fen xin mu — the woody inner partition of the walnut — is a little-known ingredient that looks like irregular fragments of walnut shell. Available at traditional herb shops, it has an extensive list of traditional uses: consolidating kidney essence, reducing urinary leakage, addressing excessive vaginal discharge, and calming the nervous system. It can also be brewed as a simple tea for insomnia and nervous weakness. Paired with the better-known consolidating trio of lotus seeds, fox nuts, and ginkgo nuts, fen xin mu rounds out a soup that addresses multiple related symptoms simultaneously. It can be cooked as a sweet dessert soup with rock sugar or as a savoury soup with lean pork — both work well.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits people with urinary frequency, nocturnal emissions, excessive or abnormal vaginal discharge, loose stools from spleen weakness, lower back ache, and mild nervous debility or poor sleep from mental fatigue
• A generally mild recipe; suitable for most people
• Note: rock sugar can be added for a sweet version; lean pork for a savoury version

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Walnut partition (fen xin mu): The woody septum inside a walnut. In Chinese medicine it is considered astringent and kidney-tonifying — traditionally associated with insomnia, nervous weakness, urinary leakage, and vaginal discharge. Available at Chinese or Asian grocers and traditional herb shops, or online.
• Lotus seeds (lian zi): Nourishes the heart and spleen; consolidates the kidneys; traditionally used for urinary leakage, discharge, and emotional restlessness.
• Fox nuts / euryale seeds (qian shi): Consolidates and tonifies the spleen and kidneys; associated with reducing diarrhoea, discharge, and leakage.
• Ginkgo nut flesh (bai guo rou): Astringent; used to reduce urinary frequency, phlegm cough, and vaginal discharge. Always remove the green core (embryo) before cooking — it is mildly toxic.

Ingredients (about 3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Walnut partition (fen xin mu)	9 g (~3 qian)	Rinse; available at traditional herb shops
Lotus seeds	38 g	Rinse and soak briefly
Fox nuts (qian shi)	38 g	Rinse and soak briefly
Ginkgo nut flesh	10 pieces	Remove the green core; rinse
Rock sugar (optional)	To taste	For sweet version
Lean pork (optional)	150–200 g	For savoury version

Method

1. Soak all ingredients briefly; remove the green cores from the ginkgo nuts.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 6 cups (about 1.4 litres) of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
4. For sweet version: add rock sugar in the last 10 minutes.
5. For savoury version: add lean pork at the beginning and omit sugar.
6. Serve and eat both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup works both as a sweet dessert soup and as a savoury meal soup — the choice is entirely personal. The fen xin mu alone can also be brewed as a simple daily tea for insomnia and nervous weakness. It is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and traditional herb shops, or online. When combined with cranberries (hong mei gan / fu pen zi, 10–12 pieces), the urinary consolidating effect is further strengthened — and the cranberries can be eaten after brewing.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (心, reader): I started using fen xin mu as a tea for nighttime urination, but found it drying and irritating to the throat. How can I reduce this? Bro Niu: Dried cranberries (hong mei gan) are excellent for reducing nighttime urination. Add 10–12 pieces to the pot alongside the fen xin mu. Reduce the fen xin mu slightly. The cranberries can be eaten after brewing — they have a good kidney-consolidating effect.

• Q (心, follow-up): Can someone on the borderline of diabetes use organic dried cranberries? Bro Niu: Yes, organic dried cranberries are fine — at about 1 tablespoon per day they will not noticeably affect blood sugar.

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Published October 28, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.