Xinhui citrus peel, with its spicy, sweet, and warm properties, is a high-quality product that can invigorate the spleen and stomach, relieve nausea, stimulate appetite, and eliminate dampness and phlegm. It's a traditional ingredient that's both medicinal and culinary, perfect for home use. While commonly consumed as a Tea, it can also be used in cooking and soups, but perhaps most effectively in health-promoting porridges. This article presents five recipes using Xinhui citrus peel in porridge along with their benefits, for the benefit of our fellow tea enthusiasts.
Making porridge is simple, but choosing the right citrus peel is key.
1. Appetite-Boosting and Digestive Ma Bao Porridge
2. Herbal Citrus Peel and Amomum Villosum Porridge
Ingredients: 5 grams of citrus peel, 5 grams of amomum villosum, 3-4 slices of ginger, 50 grams of lean meat, and 50 grams of Northeastern rice (for 1-2 servings, adjust according to number of people).
Preparation: Wash the citrus peel, amomum villosum, and rice. Cut the lean meat into thin strips. Place the citrus peel, ginger, and rice in a pot, add 1 liter of water, and cook until the porridge is done. Add the lean meat and cook for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the amomum villosum and season with salt, then bring to a boil once or twice before serving.
Benefits: Warms the middle energizer and dries dampness.
Suitable for: Individuals with cold-dampness.
Common symptoms: Heaviness and weakness in the limbs, cold sensitivity, bland taste, clear urine, large and tooth-marked tongue, and white greasy coating.
Citrus peel, with its warming nature, helps regulate Qi and strengthen the spleen while drying dampness. According to *Bencao Huayan*, it has a moderate temperature and is adept at promoting circulation, thus alleviating vomiting and coughs, and strengthening the spleen and stomach. Amomum villosum and ginger are also warming and help dry dampness and strengthen the spleen. Together with rice, this combination is particularly suitable for individuals with cold-dampness.
3. Herbal Citrus Peel and Yam Porridge
Ingredients: 5 dried Lotus seeds, 75 grams of yam, 3 pitted red dates, 8 grams of goji berries, 50 grams of Northeastern rice, 3 grams of citrus peel, and an appropriate amount of water.
Preparation: Shred the citrus peel and place it in an electric rice cooker with the rice and peeled and cubed yam, adding enough water. Select the porridge function. Once cooked, let it cool slightly before eating.
Benefits: Yam and lotus seeds have a sweet taste and can nourish the spleen and stomach, and boost energy.
Suitable for: Individuals with spleen and stomach deficiency.
Common symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, reduced appetite, edema, abdominal distension after meals, pale complexion, and white coating on the tongue.
The combination of citrus peel and yam with date and goji berries, which nourish blood, facilitates digestion and absorption. With its pleasant sweetness and soft texture, and delightful aroma, it makes for a daily healthful meal.
4. Herbal Citrus Peel, Peanut, and Red Bean Porridge
Ingredients: 30 grams each of red beans and peanuts, 60 grams of rice, 10 grams of brown sugar, and an appropriate amount of citrus peel.
Preparation: Soak and wash the rice and red beans; clean the peanuts and shred the citrus peel. Place a pot over heat, add an appropriate amount of water, and put in the rice, red beans, and peanuts, cooking until they bloom. Finally, add the citrus peel and brown sugar, cooking until the porridge thickens.
Suitable for: Individuals with common colds and high blood pressure. Dosage: Consume once daily in moderation.
Benefits: Peanuts can strengthen the spleen and stomach, soothe the throat, and promote qi, which can help alleviate sore throats. Citrus peel can regulate qi and strengthen the spleen, reducing discomfort from colds. This porridge of peanuts, red beans, and citrus peel is a healthy option to alleviate cold symptoms and support overall health.
5. Herbal Citrus Peel and Polygonatum Beauty Nourishing Porridge
Ingredients: 25 grams of prepared polygonatum, 5 grams of citrus peel, 40 grams of rock sugar, and 75 grams of glutinous rice.
Preparation: Rinse the polygonatum with warm water and wrap it in cheesecloth. Place it in a Clay pot with 500 grams of water, simmer for 20 minutes, strain the liquid, and discard the residue. Add the rinsed and washed glutinous rice and 800 grams of water, bringing it to a boil on high heat and then simmering to make porridge. Add the citrus peel and rock sugar, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Benefits: Consuming this porridge warm in the morning and evening can help nourish the spleen and lungs, moisturize the lungs, and enhance beauty. It is suitable for individuals with rough skin, premature graying hair, and spleen and stomach weakness.
