Red Bean Soup-Chinese dessert

Ingredients:

Water:8 cups  (If it's not enough for you, you can always add more water.)

Red bean-2 cups

Barley-1 cup (It has various benefits, such as helping to get rid off edema and also lighten your skin color. These are the two main reasons I added this ingredient)

Brown sugar-4 bars (You can start with less sugar and adjust to the sweetness you want.)

Red dates: 1 cup

(Benefits: Calms the central nervous system, protects the liver, improves strength, inhibits cancer cells, treats skin cancer, prevents reaction in blood transfusion-women's menstration , treats diarrhea.)

Method:

1. Wash red bean, barley and red dates.

2.Soak red bean and barley with water in a big pot for 2 hrs.

3. Add red dates into the pot.  Cook it with high heat. When it starts to bubble, turn to low heat. Cook for 2 hrs

4. If you want to drink it thicker, you can continue to cook with the low heat untill you get the required thickness.5. When it's done, turn off the stove. Add brown sugar.

6. Serve. You can drink this dessert cold or warm.

However, you can also choose to cook red bean soup without barely and red dates. The benefit of red bean soup. 1) Promotes diuresis and reduces swelling for conditions characterized by the accumulation of water (such as edema or ascites); 2) Clears heat, damp-heat, eliminates toxins & drains pus especially in dermatological disorders (acne, sores, carbuncles - stronger therapeutic effect when applied topically).

You can use the same method to cook green bean. However, it has different benefits and usually eaten in the summer.It's Chinese energetic properties are sweet and cold. The Chinese therapeutic actions include: 1) Clears heat & toxins from the exterior of the body, such as carbuncles, sores, and ulcers; 2) Dispels Summer-heat and relieves thirst - it is a effective to prevent heat stroke during the summer season and is often eaten as a food/dessert in the summertime to relieve thirst, clear heat, alleviate restlessness, and lower body temperature. [Use this with caution for individuals who may have internal cold.]

You can eat the red dates. It's sweet. (When you buy them, some are seeded)

Brown Sugar