The Rice That Cures

Medicinal properties and remedies of sticky rice

Sticky rice, or glutinous rice, is a staple food of Vietnamese people, second only to plain rice. Sticky rice is also used as a main ingredient for various kinds of cakes and sweet soups.
In traditional Vietnamese medicine, sticky rice is considered to be sweet and warm, and good for the stomach. It is therefore used to refresh the body and treat asthenia, diarrhea and stomach inflammation and ulcers.

Cooked sticky rice

Simmer a little ng sâm (Codonopsis pilosula), jujubes and purified sugar; cook sticky rice and serve it in a dish; put the simmered ng sâm and jujubes onto the cooked sticky rice and then add the broth. Eat this dish to treat tiredness, sleeplessness, anorexia and edema.

Sticky rice cooked with mc nh (cloud ear fungus – Auricularia polytricha) is good for blood cells and thus can help prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Regular intake of sticky rice cooked with mung beans (Vigna radiata) is good for the blood circulation, urination and the eyes. Mung bean-sticky rice is also a laxative. It is a food of choice for those in their convalescence period, or those with nearsightedness.

Sticky rice cooked with pumpkin is good for those with diabetes, as it delays the carbohydrate absorption of the body. Intake of the pumpkin-sticky rice is also recommended to detoxify the body and prevent colon cancer for the elderly.

Sticky rice cooked with sweet potatoes is good for the kidneys, blood circulation and digestive system. Intake of sweet potato-sticky rice can help lower the cholesterol level in the blood and prevent the risks of constipation, rectum cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Sticky rice cooked with taro (Colocasia esculenta) can help detoxify the body and facilitate urination. It is a digestive food and is thus good for those with indigestion or intestinal disorders.

Sticky rice porridge

Prepare porridge with sticky rice, u en (literally means black beans), or catjang (Vigna cylindrica), and jujubes. Eat this porridge once or twice a day to treat anemia due to iron deficiency.

Grind sticky rice and cook it into a thin porridge; add honey and eat it a few times a day to relieve nausea and vomiting. This soup is also good for bile production.

Roast sticky rice and then simmer it with a little fresh ginger and water. Drink the broth during the day to cure nausea and vomiting.

The thin porridge prepared with sticky rice and jujubes is recommended to be eaten once or twice a day by herbalists to treat stomach inflammation and ulcers.

Prepare porridge with sticky rice and lotus seeds. Intake of the porridge in the morning and evening is recommended for those with asthenia or in their convalescence period.

Cook porridge with sticky rice and mung beans. Eat the porridge every day to support the treatment of diabetes.

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Treatments With Lotus Leaves

Lotus leaves have long been used to refresh the body, relieve flu and lose extra weight

Many are aware that lotus leaves have been used to wrap some food sold at traditional markets to keep them fresh, or to cover rice or fried rice dishes at many restaurants. They have also learned about medicinal properties of many parts of the lotus, particularly its seeds, bitter germs, seedpods and roots. Still, few know about the benefits of lotus leaves.

In traditional Vietnamese medicine, lotus leaves are considered to be bitter and mild, and good for the heart, liver and stomach. Lotus leaves are therefore used to cure sunstroke, diarrhea and rheumatism, relieve dizziness and stop bleeding.

Contemporary studies show that, aside from the aforementioned remedies, lotus leaves can also be used to reduce unexpected weight and prevent arteriosclerosis because the leaves have exclusive alkaloids and flavonoids. They can help detoxify the body against the toxic properties of certain mushrooms.

Remedies

Prepare porridge with a little rice; when the porridge is boiling, add a fresh lotus leaf onto it; simmer the porridge until it has a greenish color. Eat the porridge during the day, with or without a little white sugar, to refresh the body in summer days, facilitate digestion and relieve fatigue.

Or, prepare porridge with a little rice, two lotus leaves and a little rock sugar. Eat the porridge regularly to accelerate urination, eliminate fats, improve blood circulation, and prevent high blood pressure and strokes. The porridge is highly recommended for the elderly.

Simmer lotus leaves, kim ngân hoa (Flos Lonicerae japonicae), watermelon rind, gourd (Luffa cylindrica) rind and bamboo shoots. Drink the solution twice a day to refresh the body, boost the function of the lungs, and relieve headache, coughing and blurred vision.

Prepare a drink with sliced, fresh lotus leaves and five jujubes. Drink it during the day like drinking tea. This drink can help relieve fever for both children and old people.

Squeeze seven lotus leaves and seven lotus roots; add a little warm water and honey. Drink the solution when it is still warm, twice or thrice a day, to boost the blood and refresh the body.

Soak dried lotus leaves in boiled water and drink it during the day instead of drinking tea for two to three months. This drink can help lower the cholesterol level in the blood and lose extra weight.

Boil a drink with a little dried (or fresh) lotus leaves and dried sn tra (Crataegus monogyna). Drink it during the day to boost appetite and digestion, lower the cholesterol level in the blood and protect the liver. The drink can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and reduce unexpected weight.

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