Guo An Tang TCM Herbal Tips: Nourishing and Spleen-tonifying

Gentle in nature and lightly sweet in taste, this soup is suitable for all ages and aligns perfectly with summer needs—supporting the spleen and promoting the production of body fluids.

Lotus seeds are neutral in nature. They help strengthen the spleen and stop diarrhea, tonify the kidneys and stabilize essence, and nourish the heart to calm the mind.
The Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu) states:

“Lotus is sweet in flavor, warm in qi and astringent in nature. Pure, fragrant, and clear, it carries the taste of grains and glutinous rice, and is therefore considered a fruit of the spleen.”

There is a common saying in folk tradition:

“If you wish to avoid insomnia, cook porridge with white lotus seeds.”
This refers to the calming and spirit-soothing effects of lotus seeds. They can be used alone—about ten pieces cooked into porridge—or combined with ingredients such as lily bulb, Chinese yam, and poria to make porridge or soup.

The pairing of lotus seeds and snow fungus is a classic and widely used folk dietary therapy. Simple and common, this combination nourishes yin and strengthens the spleen, with a pleasant texture and taste—making it especially suitable for summer.

As for red dates, there is a popular saying:

“Eat three red dates a day, and you’ll never look old.”
Red dates are naturally sweet and beneficial for qi and blood. Adding them to snow fungus and lotus seed soup not only supports blood nourishment but also enhances the overall flavor.