Medicinal herb sweets: Longyuan Walnut Cake

Guiyuan is a fruit called longan, which is dried over a bonfire, giving it a smoky aroma. Longan is related to lychee, and has a hard outer skin, a sweet flesh inside, and a seed in the center. Guiyuan is said to have blood-replenishing effects and is good for cold sensitivity, and in Taiwan it is sold not only in supermarkets but also in traditional Chinese medicine shops. Because it is sweet, it is often used in desserts, but it is also commonly used in sweet sticky rice dishes. When made into a dessert soup, it is often simmered with jujubes (red dates) and white fungus.
 The "walnut" in "Guiyuan Hep Tao Gao" refers to walnuts, and this toffee-like confection is made with longan (sugar candy), walnuts, and corn syrup. It is a very popular medicinal sweet and is often seen at winter tea ceremonies.

 6 pieces per bag