Congee & Porridge

Yellow Ear Fungus and Red Date Rice Porridge

Traditionally used to nourish blood, support skin elasticity, and help slow the visible signs of ageing

In short: Yellow Ear Fungus and Red Date Rice Porridge is a congee & porridge that Traditionally used to nourish blood, support skin elasticity, and help slow the visible signs of ageing. It is most often made for skin & natural beauty, blood nourishment, everyday balance. Total time about 2 hr. Key ingredients: red dates, white rice.

Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Total
2 hr
Makes
Serves 3–4
Yellow Ear Fungus and Red Date Rice Porridge

Why people make this porridge

In Cantonese vegetarian cooking, there is a traditional shorthand for the most prized fungal ingredients: “three mushrooms, six ears” — three types of mushroom and six types of edible fungus. Among the six ears, yellow ear (huang er, also called golden ear or jin er) is considered the most precious, having the thickest flesh and the highest concentration of natural plant gelatin. When cooked, it has a distinctive bouncy, silky texture — firm yet smooth — quite unlike the more familiar snow fungus (bai mu er).

In food therapy, this plant gelatin is associated with deeply moistening the skin, supporting the body’s natural collagen matrix, and — taken regularly — contributing to a complexion that stays firm and radiant. Paired with red dates for blood nourishment and rice to anchor the porridge and make it filling, this simple bowl has been a Cantonese beauty kitchen staple for generations.

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.

  • Snow fungus · Randomized controlled trial · 2018
    The Tremella fuciformis groups showed greater improvements than placebo in subjective memory complaint scores, short-term memory and executive function tests. Adverse event frequency was similar across high-dose, low-dose and placebo groups.Limitation: Small sample with only 15 people in the placebo group and a short 8-week duration; the brain imaging findings were exploratory.PubMed 29319408
  • 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.

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

Members only

Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips

One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.

  • Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
  • Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
  • One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals

Checking your access…

Spot an error? Report a correction

Comments

Loading comments…