Zao Jiao Mi (Gleditsia sinensis Seed) — Yunnan Wild Snow Lotus Seed for Soup & Dessert

Zao Jiao Mi (Gleditsia sinensis) is the dried seed kernel of the Chinese honeylocust tree, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Zào Jiǎo Mǐ (皂角米) and affectionately called Xuě Lián Zǐ (雪莲子), or Snow Lotus Seed. Wild-harvested in Yunnan and carefully hand-selected, this food-herb ingredient has been prized for centuries as a gentle, yin-nourishing botanical used in sweet soups, congee, and cooling seasonal tonics. Its nature is sweet and neutral, making it a mild yet deeply hydrating ingredient for moistening dryness and supporting fluid balance.

Key Selling Points

• Wild-harvested Yunnan Zao Jiao Mi seed kernels
• Traditional food-herb also known as Snow Lotus Seed
• Single-pod premium grade, 500g pack
• Hand-selected and naturally sun-dried
• Sulfur-free, ideal for sweet soup and congee

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is carefully hand-selected and sun-dried to preserve its pale ivory to translucent amber color, smooth glossy texture, and faintly nutty aroma. When soaked, the kernels swell into soft, gelatinous pearls with a delicate, subtly sweet taste and a silky, slippery mouthfeel that lends natural body to sweet soups and broths.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Sweet soup and dessert broth
• Congee and grain porridge
• Herbal tea blends with peach gum and snow fungus
• Seasonal cooling nourishment
• Soup-pack ingredient

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Zao Jiao Mi is simmered into sweet soups, congee, and cooling tonics to support daily nourishment during dry or warm seasons. It is a classic companion to peach gum (Tao Jiao), snow fungus, and snow swallow (Xue Yan) in traditional beauty and wellness soups, where it is slowly cooked until tender and gelatinous. As a daily tea, it is brewed with rock sugar, jujube, and goji berry for a light, mildly sweet infusion.

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