Yam, Job's Tears and Persimmon Cake Congee (Huai Shan Yi Mi Shi Bing Zhou)

Why people make this congee

When a cold lingers and a cough just will not clear — especially in children who cannot expectorate phlegm on their own — parents are often at a loss. Strong supplements are not appropriate, and yet doing nothing feels insufficient. This is where gentle food therapy shines. This three-ingredient congee requires no herbs from a pharmacy, no special equipment, and no complicated preparation. Chinese yam, Job’s tears, and dried persimmon cake together create a mildly sweet, pleasantly thick porridge that is easy to eat and easy to digest, and that has been used in Chinese households for generations to support the lungs and spleen after illness.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for adults, children, and older people with a weak spleen and stomach, persistent cough with phlegm, or recurring colds
• Particularly helpful for children whose lungs are constitutionally weak and who struggle to cough up phlegm
• Fresh Chinese yam is preferred as it is easier to mash; dried yam (1 liang) and fresh yam (3 liang) are interchangeable
• Those with active, acute illness (fever, green or yellow phlegm indicating infection) should address the acute condition first — see a doctor if needed before using food therapy

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Chinese yam (huai shan): One of the most respected food-therapy ingredients in Chinese cooking; considered sweet and neutral. Traditionally thought to nourish the spleen, stomach, lungs, and kidneys. Also widely used in Western cuisine as a starchy root vegetable.
• Job’s tears (yi mi): Traditionally associated with strengthening the spleen and draining dampness. The combination with yam creates a naturally thickened, satisfying congee base.
• Dried persimmon cake (shi bing): Less familiar to Western cooks, but a classic ingredient in Chinese food therapy. Persimmon is considered sweet and cool by nature — traditionally valued for moistening the lungs, clearing heat, and helping dissolve phlegm. The dried, pressed cake form (shi bing) has a white powdery coating (shi shuang) that is considered particularly effective; if you can find it, the persimmon frost is even better than the cake.

Ingredients (2–3 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chinese yam (dried)	1 liang (~37 g)	Or 3 liang fresh (~112 g)
Job’s tears	2 liang (~75 g)	Soak in cold water first
Dried persimmon cake	1 liang (~37 g)	Finely chopped

Method

1. Soak the Chinese yam and Job’s tears in cold water until soft (at least 1–2 hours, or overnight for dried yam).
2. Transfer to a blender or use a pestle to roughly crush the soaked ingredients into a coarse paste or thick grain.
3. Add 6 bowls of water and cook over medium heat for approximately 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes a thick, smooth congee.
4. Finely chop the dried persimmon cake and stir it into the congee. Continue cooking for a further 30 minutes.
5. The congee can be sweetened lightly if desired. Serve warm.

Bro Niu’s tips

Using fresh Chinese yam makes this congee much easier to prepare as it mashes effortlessly. If you can find persimmon frost (the white powder on the outside of a good-quality dried persimmon), it is even more effective than the cake itself. This congee is suitable for people with eczema too — the fresh persimmon fruit should be avoided by those with eczema due to its high tannin content, but the dried cake form is fine. For a more substantial version, blend or mash the ingredients into a porridge-like paste; this is actually what gives the dish its congee character, as there is no rice added.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Daisy / shirley): Does this congee contain rice? And can it be made into a soup instead? Bro Niu: This congee has no rice — the Job’s tears and yam cooked together create a porridge-like texture naturally. You can mash them into a smooth paste and add a little sugar if you like. You can also cook them as a soup by boiling without mashing, but the congee form is more nourishing for the spleen.

• Q (Lily): Can people with eczema eat the persimmon cake congee? Bro Niu: Yes, those with eczema can eat the dried persimmon cake congee. It is fresh persimmon (containing large amounts of tannins) that is not suitable for eczema sufferers — the dried cake is beneficial rather than harmful.

• Q (May): My father (80+) has just been discharged after pneumonia and had steroids and antibiotics. What soups are appropriate? Bro Niu: If he has no more cough, a gentle soup of glehnia root (sha shen), Solomon’s seal (yu zhu), ophiopogon (mai dong), lily bulb (bai he), tangerine peel, and figs simmered with lean pork or partridge for 1 hour would suit him well. If he still has a cough, try steaming a pear with fritillary bulb powder (chuan bei mo) and tangerine peel with a little rock sugar — one serving daily for 3 days.

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Published December 10, 2013 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.