Commonly called celestial rice, celestial vegetable or water fungus, it is a single-celled aquatic blue-green algae with no roots or leaves. Dark green and granular, it grows completely in the wild as a pure natural green food.

Legend goes that during a famine in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong, a famous alchemist, physician and Taoist scholar, survived on this algae while living in seclusion. He later presented it to the imperial court. The weak crown prince recovered and regained strength after eating it. To honor Ge Hong, the emperor named the algae Ge Xian Mi (Master Ge’s Rice), a name still used today.

Highly nutritious, it is a delicacy for feasts, containing 15 kinds of amino acids, vitamins and essential trace elements such as manganese, calcium, zinc, iron and phosphorus. It can be cooked fresh or dried, seasoned with sugar or salt, and prepared by steaming, stir-frying or boiling in soup. Compendium of Materia Medica praises it as an excellent nourishing food.

It also has notable health benefits. According to Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicines, it is mild and bland in nature, clearing internal heat, astringing tissues, replenishing qi and improving eyesight. It helps treat night blindness and rectal prolapse. Externally, it relieves burns and scalds and nourishes the skin.