Liu Junying, Deputy Chief Dietitian of the Nutrition Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, says that sorghum is rich in protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B2, and other nutrients, making it highly beneficial to consume regularly.
For children, sorghum fried flour can help strengthen the digestive system. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that sorghum has the effects of warming the middle jiao to strengthen the spleen, securing the stomach, and stopping vomiting and diarrhea. If a child has poor gastrointestinal function or shows symptoms like diarrhea or food stagnation, you can dry-fry sorghum flour over a low flame until cooked, then add an appropriate amount of sugar to make fried flour. Alternatively, you can first add a small amount of cooking oil to a wok, then stir-fry the sorghum flour until cooked, followed by sugar, and you can also add crushed sesame seeds and peanuts. Then, add water to the fried flour to make a paste and feed it to the child.
For young and middle-aged people, sorghum, black bean, and jujube rice can promote digestion. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that sorghum aids digestion, promotes urination, relieves coughs and asthma, and tonifies Qi while clearing the stomach. For middle-aged and young people with "sub-health" issues such as indigestion, a weak physique, high work stress, or mental tension, consuming sorghum regularly is recommended.
Young and middle-aged people who enjoy cooking can try making "Sorghum, Black Bean, and Jujube Rice." Use 50 grams of sorghum, 20 grams of black beans, 10 jujubes, and 10 grams of sugar. Since both sorghum and black beans have tough skins, it is best to soak them for four to five hours in advance. Then, steam the ingredients until they are ready to eat.
For the elderly, sugarcane and sorghum porridge can nourish Yin and promote longevity. The "Nourishing Yin and Promoting Longevity Porridge" (sugarcane and sorghum porridge), which is moistening, nourishing Yin, clearing heat, and harmonizing the stomach, is very suitable for the elderly. Extract about 500 grams of juice from sugarcane and select 150 grams of husked sorghum. The preparation is simple: first, cook the soaked sorghum in water until it becomes a porridge, then add the sugarcane juice, stir well, and cook for a moment longer before serving.