Longan
龙眼肉 · Lóng Yǎn Ròu
Calms anxious sleep and rebuilds blood
What it does
Longan calms anxious sleep, supports memory, and rebuilds energy after blood loss or postpartum depletion. In TCM, it nourishes heart and spleen, the systems behind palpitations, forgetfulness, and overthinking. The name Lóng Yǎn Ròu means 'dragon eye flesh,' from the way dried fruit looks like an eyeball. It's the lead herb in Gui Pi Tang for anxiety with anemia.
How to take it
Eat 6–15g dried longan as a sweet snack. Soak overnight to soften, then add to oatmeal, congee, or yogurt. Often paired with red dates and goji berry.
Snack on a small handful of dried longan during postpartum recovery
Steep 9–15g dried longan in hot water for 15 minutes, or simmer with red dates and goji for 30 minutes. Drink and eat the rehydrated fruit. Best in evenings.
Try a longan-and-red-date tea before bed for restless sleep with palpitations
Safety
- Generally very safe as food
- High in natural sugar. Limit if you manage blood glucose
- Skip with stuck phlegm or active hot patterns (rashes, fever)
- Skip during pregnancy in concentrated medicinal doses without guidance
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Longan (Dimocarpus longan) is a small tropical fruit native to southern China and Southeast Asia, related to lychee. The fresh fruit is eaten as a snack, but the dried longan flesh is the TCM tonic. It's the lead herb in Gui Pi Tang, a classical formula for anxiety with anemia recorded in the Ming Dynasty. The combo of longan with red dates appears in countless Chinese postpartum and tonic recipes for new mothers and those recovering from blood loss.