Double Cheek Soap Pod Seeds Zao Jiao Mi Snow Lotus Seeds Large Grade Yunnan Culinary Herb 500g

Double Cheek Soap Pod Seeds, known in TCM as Zao Jiao Mi (皂角米) and also called Snow Lotus Seeds, are the dried endosperm of Gleditsia sinensis pods from Yunnan. These large-grade seeds are sold in their natural whole form as a culinary botanical. Traditionally valued in Chinese herbal cooking, they swell into a translucent, gelatinous texture when simmered. In TCM theory they are considered neutral in nature with a sweet flavor. Commonly cooked in soups, congee, and sweet desserts; not a substitute for medicine.

Key Selling Points

• Large-grade double-cheek Zao Jiao Mi (皂角米) from Yunnan
• Botanical source Gleditsia sinensis, sold as whole natural seeds
• Traditionally used in Chinese herbal soups and sweet desserts
• Seeds swell into a translucent gelatinous texture when cooked
• Sealed 500g resealable bag for convenient pantry storage

Quality & Sensory

Typically pale yellowish to amber, the dried seeds are firm and irregularly flattened with a hard, glossy surface. When simmered, they typically soften and expand into a slippery, jelly-like texture with a mild, neutral taste that pairs well with sweet or savory broths.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Simmer into sweet soups and desserts with rock sugar or red dates
• Add to congee and grain porridges for a gelatinous texture
• Combine with snow fungus or lotus seeds in slow-cooked broths
• Use in traditional double-boiled herbal desserts

Traditional Uses

In traditional Chinese practice, Zao Jiao Mi has long been cooked in slow-simmered sweet soups and double-boiled desserts, often paired with snow fungus, red dates, lotus seeds, or rock sugar. Folk households in Yunnan and southern China traditionally prepare it during warm seasons as a cooling dessert ingredient, valuing its slippery, gelatinous texture in congee and nourishing broths.

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