Astragalus, Ginger, Red Date, Tangerine Peel and Beef Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

Astragalus root (bei qi or huang qi) is one of the most important qi-tonifying herbs in Chinese medicine — warm in nature, it is traditionally used for people who feel easily exhausted, sweat spontaneously, or have what Chinese medicine calls “qi deficiency.” People with qi deficiency often find that their organs tend toward prolapse: the stomach (gastroptosis), the uterus (uterine prolapse), or other internal organs may drop from their normal position when the qi that holds them up is weakened.

Gastroptosis can range from mild — producing nothing more than slight bloating after eating — to moderate or severe, where constipation, nausea, vomiting and upper abdominal pain after meals become significant problems. Beef tripe (the stomach lining of cattle) is traditionally prescribed in Chinese food therapy using the principle that “eating an organ nourishes that organ” — pairing it with astragalus to tonify qi creates a combination that targets both the energy level and the specific organ involved.