The legend of the monk fruit
The legend of the monk fruit
Legend has it that in a very distant past, in a remote Yao village in Guangxi, China, there lived an ancient woodcutter named Luo. He and his mother relied on each other for their livelihood, and his hard work and filial piety earned him the admiration of the villagers.
One autumn, Luo's mother fell ill with a cold, suffering from incessant coughing and wheezing. Seeing his mother's condition deteriorate, Luo was deeply concerned, but their poverty left them with no extra money to consult a physician. Thus, he toiled even harder, chopping wood on the mountainside, hoping to earn a meager amount from selling firewood to afford medical treatment for his mother.
One early morning, while ascending the mountain to gather firewood, Luo felt fatigued and decided to rest for a while. During this rest, he caught a whiff of a refreshing fruity fragrance, a scent so delightful that it puzzled him in the desolate wilderness. Looking around, he spotted a cluster of green vines not far away, bearing an abundance of unknown wild fruits. Hungry and tired, he plucked a fruit and devoured it ravenously. Surprisingly, his hunger vanished.
Luo gathered many of these wild fruits and brought them home to serve as a treat for his ailing mother. The fruit had an immediate positive impact on his mother's health: on the first day, her throat felt soothed and her spirits lifted; on the second day, her coughing eased... Seeing the fruit's effectiveness in alleviating his mother's ailment, Luo was overjoyed. Thus, he continued collecting fresh fruits daily to feed his mother. After more than a month of consuming these fruits, his mother's persistent cough miraculously subsided.
Coincidentally, a wandering physician renowned for his charitable works arrived in the area. He learned about Luo's use of the wild fruits to cure his mother's cough and personally visited Luo's home to taste these unnamed fruits that were both nourishing and medicinal. Recognizing the medicinal value of these wild fruits, the physician spread their use, treating numerous illnesses. As Luo's surname was Luo and the physician's surname was Han, in honor of their accomplishments, the unnamed wild fruit was henceforth named "Luohan Guo" (罗汉果), which translates to "Monk Fruit."
Medicinal Recipe:
Luohan Guo Porridge
Ingredients: Luohan Guo 15g, Lean Pork 70g, Glutinous Rice 100g, Cooking Wine, Starch 10g each, Salt, Chicken Essence as needed. Crush Luohan Guo into powder; slice lean pork into thin strips, marinate with cooking wine and starch. Wash glutinous rice and place it in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, then add the Luohan Guo powder. Cook until the porridge thickens, then add the pork strips, allowing them to cook until tender. Once the porridge boils again, add salt and chicken essence for seasoning. Add monosodium glutamate and sesame oil before consuming. Consume the warm porridge twice a day, morning and evening.
Suitable for individuals with chronic bronchitis, chronic pharyngitis, or whooping cough. It helps alleviate symptoms like phlegm-induced cough, bloody phlegm, and throat inflammation. Those who often use their voice or suffer from constipation can also benefit from consuming this porridge. It's suitable for consumption throughout the year.
