Hawthorn Jelly Sheet

Hawthorn Jelly Sheet

　　Nutritional Value of Hawthorn:

　　Hawthorn is sweet, sour, and slightly warm in nature. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It aids digestion, resolves food stagnation, disperses blood stasis, and promotes fluid production. It is used to treat meat-induced food stagnation, abdominal pain and diarrhea, bacterial dysentery, phlegm-fluid retention with distension and acid reflux, jaundice, hernia, dysmenorrhea, postpartum lochia retention, childhood malnutrition, high blood lipids, high blood pressure, and tapeworm infections.

　　Ingredients:

　　100g hawthorn cake, 200g starch, a small amount of agar powder, 250g water, 100g sugar.

　　Method:

　　(1) Blend the hawthorn cake with 40g of water into a paste. Wash the agar powder, soak it in cold water until soft, then place it in a pot. Add 150g of water and simmer over low heat until dissolved. Add the sugar and continue cooking until fully dissolved. Set aside.

　　(2) Place the starch in a bowl and mix with 40g of water to form a wet starch paste.

　　(3) Pour the remaining water into the pot, add the hawthorn paste, and cook until it turns rose-colored. Pour it into a bowl. Once cooled, add the wet starch and stir well. Divide the mixture into two portions and pour them into a mold or aluminum basin. Spread it over boiling water to form the hawthorn jelly sheets. Roll the sheets into rolls with a diameter of 2.5cm, then cut them into 4cm-long pieces. Arrange them neatly in small lunch boxes, pour on the agar syrup, and let them cool before refrigerating. When serving, cut into thick slices or diamond-shaped pieces.

　　Serving Method:

　　The triterpenes and flavonoids in hawthorn help dilate blood vessels, increase coronary blood flow, improve heart vitality, stimulate the central nervous system, lower blood pressure, reduce blood cholesterol, soften blood vessels, and have diuretic and sedative effects. Medications made from hawthorn can effectively lower cholesterol. Hawthorn acid also has a cardiotonic effect and is beneficial for age-related heart conditions. Hawthorn aids digestion, resolves food stagnation, disperses blood stasis, and stops dysentery. It is especially effective against meat-induced food stagnation. For cases of undigested meat, bloating, or indigestion, boil about 150g of hawthorn in water and drink the juice.

　　Dietary Restrictions:

　　Those with gastritis and acid reflux should avoid hawthorn. Excessive consumption may harm teeth. Avoid eating hawthorn when taking ginseng or American ginseng, as it can reduce their efficacy.

　　Hawthorn has a relatively high content of organic acids, which can erode the enamel on teeth, so fresh hawthorn should be consumed in moderation. When boiling hawthorn, avoid using iron or copper pots to prevent nutrient loss. People with weak spleen and stomach should avoid hawthorn, and even healthy individuals should consume it in moderation.