Sparrow Medicine Porridge

[Prescriptions from the Great Peace Imperial Grace Pharmacopoeia]

This book is a comprehensive collection of medical prescriptions from the Song Dynasty, compiled by Wang Huaiyin and other imperial physicians of the Song Dynasty from the renowned and verified prescriptions collected by the Imperial Academy of Medicine at that time. Wang Huaiyin, hailing from Suiyang (present-day Shangqiu County, Henan Province), along with his colleagues, spent 14 years compiling this work. The book consists of 100 volumes in total, with volumes 96 and 97 dedicated to dietary therapy. It contains 129 medicinal porridge recipes, among which Sparrow Medicinal Porridge is selected from Volume 97, under the section on dietary treatments for various conditions of deficiency, emaciation, and weakness.

[Ingredients of the Porridge] 5 sparrows, 30 to 45 grams of Cuscutae Semen (Dodder Seed), 10 to 15 grams of Rubi Fructus (Palmleaf Raspberry Fruit), 20 to 30 grams of Lycii Fructus (Chinese Wolfberry Fruit), 2 liang of japonica rice, a small amount of refined salt, two stalks of scallion whites, and three slices of ginger.

[Efficacy and Indications] Strengthens yang qi, replenishes essence and blood, nourishes the Liver and Kidneys, and warms the waist and knees. It is suitable for yang deficiency and debility caused by insufficient Kidney qi, impotence (i.e., decreased sexual function), premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, soreness or cold pain in the waist and knees, dizziness and blurred vision, tinnitus and deafness, difficult and dribbling urination, enuresis and frequent urination, and vaginal discharge in women.

[Decoction Method] First, place dodder seed (Cuscutae Semen), raspberry (Rubus Chingii Fructus), and wolfberry fruit (Lycii Fructus) together in a sand pot to decoct and extract the medicinal juice, then remove the dregs. Next, remove the feathers and internal organs of the sparrows, wash them, and stir-fry with wine. Then, cook them together with japonica rice and the medicinal juice, adding an appropriate amount of water to make porridge. When it is nearly cooked, add fine salt, scallion whites, and ginger, and cook into a thin porridge for consumption.

Explanation of the Porridge: Sparrow Medicinal Porridge is a compound porridge that combines traditional Chinese medicine with food. Sparrows can be found throughout the country, but they are best eaten in autumn when they are plump and tender. In the Tang Dynasty, Meng Shen recorded in Dietetic Therapy Herbology, “Eating its meat from October to January can replenish deficiencies in the five internal organs, support the yin channels, and nourish the essence.” The Herbology of the Japanese and Chinese also states that sparrow meat “strengthens yang and replenishes qi, warms the waist and knees, reduces urinary frequency, and supports hemorrhagic collapse and leukorrhea.” Practice has proven that sparrows are not only edible but also an excellent medicine for strengthening yang and benefiting the Kidneys, especially suitable for elderly individuals with weak internal organs, fatigue, emaciation, and deficiency of yang qi.

Semen Cuscutae (Tu Si Zi), Fructus Lycii (Gou Qi Zi), and Fructus Rubi (Fu Pen Zi) all enter the Liver and Kidney meridians, are considered non-toxic in terms of taste, and are commonly used traditional Chinese herbs for tonifying the Liver and Kidney, nourishing essence and blood, and strengthening the waist and knees. They are indicated for signs of imbalance caused by Liver and Kidney deficiency, such as soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, leg weakness, dizziness and tinnitus, blurred vision, as well as impotence, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination or dribbling urination, and excessive leucorrhea. When these three herbs are used in combination, they complement each other and enhance the tonifying effect.

Sparrow Medicine Porridge, when regularly consumed by the elderly, can not only supports certain age-related conditions but also strengthen the body and promote longevity and health. [Taiping Shenghui Fang · Volume 97 · Various Recipes for supports Deficiency Damage and Emaciation with Diet] records: “For supports lower energizer deficiency damage, weak yang qi, and unhealthy sinews and bones, the recipe for Sparrow Medicine Porridge is as follows: Ten sparrows, skinned and minced; one liang of dodder seeds soaked in wine for three days, dried in the sun, and separately ground into a powder; one liang of raspberry fruits; one liang of schisandra fruits; one liang of wolfberries; two he of polished glutinous rice; and two he of wine. Grind the above-mentioned herbs into a powder. First, stir-fry the sparrow meat with wine, then add three large bowls of water, followed by the rice to cook into porridge. When the porridge is nearly done, add five qian of the powdered herbs, stir well, add the five flavors to harmonize, and continue cooking. Consume the porridge on an empty stomach.” To overcome the inconvenience of cooking the porridge with powdered herbs, the method can be changed to boiling a decoction first and then using it to cook the porridge. According to the TCM theory that “salty flavor enters the Kidney,” adding a small amount of fine salt can not only season the porridge but also serve as a “meridian-guiding drug” to enhance the therapeutic effect.

[Precautions] It is best to consume Sparrow Medicine Porridge in winter, with a course of supports lasting 3 to 5 days. However, it is contraindicated for patients with fever and those with hypersexuality.

[Reference Materials]

[New Book on Nurturing Life for the Elderly · Volume One · Recipes for supports Various wellness in the Elderly through Diet, Chapter Fourteen]: “Dietary supports for the elderly with visceral deficiency and damage, emaciation, and weak yang qi: Sparrow Porridge Recipe. Five sparrows, prepared according to dietary methods, finely chopped; one sheng of millet; three stalks of scallion, chopped. First, stir-fry the sparrow meat, then add one he of wine, cook for a short while, add two and a half dazhan of water, add the millet and cook into porridge. When it is almost cooked, add the chopped scallion and five flavors seasoning, wait until fully cooked, and consume it on an empty stomach.”

[Food and supports]: “Five sparrows, a handful of millet, three stalks of scallion whites. Remove the feathers and intestines from the sparrows, stir-fry them until cooked, add a small cup of wine, boil for a short while, then add one and a half small bowls of water and the millet to cook into porridge. When the porridge is nearly done, add the scallion whites and other five-flavor ingredients. Consume it on an empty stomach. It supports elderly people with visceral deficiency, damage, and emaciation.”