Buddha’s hand is a special fruit that many families use for offering incense. Especially at the end of the year and during holidays, Buddha’s hands are abundant and many families prepare plates full of them, but after offering incense, they don’t use them because they think they are inedible. In fact, Buddha’s hand is a valuable ingredient in traditional medicine.
Although Buddha’s hand doesn’t have flesh, only peel and pith, they are used similarly to grapefruit peel and pith.
Buddha’s hand has a fragrant and spicy essential oil that helps to refresh the throat. Transform Buddha’s hand into delicious dishes that not only taste good but also contribute to your health.
Buddha’s hand preserves
Step 1: Wash the Buddha’s hand thoroughly, choose ripe ones as they are less spicy compared to the green ones. After offering incense, Buddha’s hand will ripen and turn yellow.
Step 2: Cut the Buddha’s hand into pomegranate-sized pieces, about 1 cm in size.
Step 3: Boil water in a pot and boil the sliced Buddha’s hand to remove the bitter taste. Boil for about 30 minutes and add a pinch of salt. Then rinse with water and squeeze to remove the bitterness.
Step 4: After squeezing the Buddha’s hand dry, marinate it with sugar until the sugar dissolves and combines with the Buddha’s hand to create Buddha’s hand preserves.
Step 5: Scoop out the preserves and let them cool, then drain off the excess syrup and store them in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Note: To reduce the spiciness of Buddha’s hand, you can boil them 2-3 times and squeeze them more thoroughly. Buddha’s hand preserves are similar to grapefruit peel preserves.
Buddha’s hand porridge for digestive health
During the holiday season, indulging in food and drinks can make your digestive system tired and uncomfortable. At this time, a bowl of warm Buddha’s hand porridge can help detoxify your body.
The ingredients include rice, Buddha’s hand, and mung beans if desired.
Wash the Buddha’s hand and boil it in water to extract the water, discard the peel, then add soaked mung beans and rice to cook. Season with spices, and you have Buddha’s hand porridge.
Buddha’s hand porridge has a distinctive aroma and helps stimulate digestion and promote bowel movements.
Buddha’s hand tea
Buddha’s hand tea is fragrant and refreshing, it can help with cold symptoms, detoxify the body, and relax the mind.
You can use fresh Buddha’s hand to infuse with green tea or infuse it separately to make Buddha’s hand honey tea.
You can also slice Buddha’s hand into thin slices and sun-dry or dehydrate them for later use.
Drinking Buddha’s hand tea can help relieve stomach pain, promote relaxation, and improve digestion.
In addition, Buddha’s hand can be sliced and soaked in alcohol or vinegar to extract the essential oils, which can be used to freshen your home or for household cleaning.
