Every year during the dog days of summer, the weather is hot and humid, causing moisture to accumulate in the body, leading to feelings of heaviness and fatigue in the limbs, and even triggering various health problems. At this time, the key to health preservation lies in dispelling moisture and detoxifying, maintaining a refreshing and permeable condition within the body. Among the many moisture-expelling foods, there is one ingredient renowned as the “number one rice for moisture removal,” especially suitable for consumption during the dog days, which is Euryale Fox Seed.
Euryale Fox Seed, also known as water chestnut, is small and exquisite, presenting a light rice color. It is not only rich in nutritional components but also widely noted for its unique dietary therapeutic properties. It is high in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and various trace elements, offering benefits such as strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, solidifying the kidneys and reducing urination, as well as dispelling moisture and detoxifying. Eating Euryale Fox Seed raw can help nourish the kidneys and enhance physical strength; cooked Euryale Fox Seed has a stronger effect on nourishing the spleen and stomach, making it suitable for long-term consumption by those with weak spleen and stomach. In addition, Euryale Fox Seed has antioxidant and anti-aging effects, making it a natural health food.
During the dog days, consuming Euryale Fox Seed properly can not only effectively dispel moisture and detoxify but also boost the body’s immunity, preventing the adverse health effects of humid and hot weather. Below are two health-preserving soups featuring Euryale Fox Seed as the main ingredient. They are both delicious and highly nutritious, making them excellent choices for summer nourishment.
Recommended Recipe One: Apple Four Spirits Soup
Ingredients: 50 grams of Euryale Fox Seed, 30 grams of lotus seeds, 20 grams of Poria cocos, 100 grams of yam, 1 apple, appropriate amount of goji berries, appropriate amount of rock sugar, and adequate clear water.
Detailed Method:
1. Prepare ingredients: Soak Euryale Fox Seed and lotus seeds in clear water for 2 hours in advance. Peel and dice the yam, wash the apple and remove the core before dicing, and briefly rinse the goji berries for later use.
2. Cook the soup: Place the soaked Euryale Fox Seed, lotus seeds, and Poria cocos into a soup pot, add sufficient clear water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Add yam and apple: Once the soup is cooked until the Euryale Fox Seed and lotus seeds have softened, add the yam pieces and apple pieces, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Finally, add the goji berries and rock sugar, simmer for another 10 minutes before turning off the heat. Let the soup cool slightly before serving; it is sweet, fragrant, and nutritious.
This Apple Four Spirits Soup is sweet and refreshing, with excellent nourishing effects, especially suitable for summer consumption. Lotus seeds and Poria cocos help strengthen the spleen and remove moisture, while yam nourishes the stomach and replenishes the spleen, and the apple enhances the soup’s sweet flavor. When cooking, do not add the yam too early to prevent it from becoming overly mushy and affecting the texture. The amount of rock sugar can be adjusted according to personal taste. This soup not only helps clear heat and relieve summer heat but also benefits the spleen and stomach, and long-term consumption can improve immunity.
Recommended Recipe Two: Nourishing Pig’s Trotter Soup
Ingredients: 50 grams of Euryale Fox Seed, 30 grams of adlay millet, 30 grams of lotus seeds, 50 grams of peanuts, 50 grams of yellow beans, 1 pig’s trotter, 3 slices of ginger, appropriate amount of cooking wine, appropriate amount of salt, and adequate clear water.
Steps are as follows:
1. Prepare ingredients: Soak Euryale Fox Seed, adlay millet, and lotus seeds in advance for 2 hours. Peanuts and yellow beans should also be soaked for 1 hour. Cut the pig’s trotter into pieces and blanch them in boiling water to remove any blood foam.
2. Cook the soup: In a soup pot, add enough clear water, then add the blanched pig’s trotter, Euryale Fox Seed, adlay millet, lotus seeds, peanuts, yellow beans, and ginger slices. Add an appropriate amount of cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Season: Once the pig’s trotter is soft and the soup is thickened, add an appropriate amount of salt for seasoning and simmer for another 10 minutes before turning off the heat. Let the soup cool slightly before serving; the soup is rich and nutritious.
This nourishing pig’s trotter soup is extremely rich in nutrients and especially suitable for consumption during the dog days, effectively dispelling moisture and detoxifying, while nourishing the body. The pig’s trotter is rich in collagen, which can hydrate the skin, while Euryale Fox Seed and adlay millet form the best combination for moisture removal, and lotus seeds, peanuts, and yellow beans provide rich plant protein. When cooking, the pig’s trotter should be blanched in advance to eliminate odor, and both adlay millet and Euryale Fox Seed must be cooked until soft for better digestion and absorption. This soup has the effects of strengthening the body and nourishing the skin, and long-term consumption can improve physical condition and enhance disease resistance.
In the hot dog days of summer, Euryale Fox Seed, as the “number one rice for moisture removal,” not only helps us dispel moisture and detoxify but also nourishes the kidneys and stomach, making it the best choice for summer health preservation.
