Wheat Grain, Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Ophiopogon Soup

Why people make this soup

Cities breed a particular kind of exhaustion — not the clean tiredness that comes from physical work, but the frayed, wired-yet-depleted feeling that comes from living at high speed for too long. In traditional Chinese food therapy, this state is often associated with heart-yin deficiency: the nourishing, cooling aspect of the heart has been worn thin by anxiety, overwork, or prolonged stress, leaving a low-grade internal heat that disturbs sleep, generates restlessness, and makes the mind difficult to settle. This soup — wheat grain, lotus seeds, lily bulb, and ophiopogon tuber — is one of the most classical remedies for that state. It is gentle, easy to make, and has been used in Chinese households for generations as a nourishing, sleep-supportive grain meal.

Method

1. Rinse all ingredients thoroughly and soak for 15–20 minutes.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook for approximately 2 hours until about 3 bowls of thick, soft soup remain.
5. Serve as a sweet soup (add rock sugar to taste) or a savoury version (add lean pork and a pinch of salt). Eat the grains and lotus seeds together with the broth.

Nourilo’s Tips

Wheat grain (mai mi) and floating wheat (fu xiao mai) are not the same thing — if you also have night sweats and nervous heat (烦热), you can substitute floating wheat, which is more targeted for those symptoms. Plain wheat grain, however, is the right choice for the heart-calming, sleep-supporting purpose of this soup. This recipe can also be made with plain water as the base, or with lean pork for a more savoury version. If severe insomnia persists after regular use, a stronger formula — such as fu shen, suan zao ren, bai zi ren, yuan rou, and bai he — should be tried; or better yet, please see a doctor.