Soups

Burdock Snow-Fungus Fig Pork-Bone Soup (niu bang xue er wu hua guo xi shi gu tang)

Traditionally clears heat and soothes the throat and lungs

In short: Burdock Snow-Fungus Fig Pork-Bone Soup (niu bang xue er wu hua guo xi shi gu tang) is a soup that Traditionally clears heat and soothes the throat and lungs. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, sleep & calm. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: burdock root, snow fungus / white fungus, figs, carrot.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Burdock Snow-Fungus Fig Pork-Bone Soup (niu bang xue er wu hua guo xi shi gu tang)

Why people make this soup

Summer burdock is at its most fragrant, and Nourilo prefers the slender roots for their deeper aroma. In tradition, burdock clears heat and soothes the throat and voice. He pairs it with snow fungus, fig, carrot and pork-shoulder bone into a sweet, comforting pot that suits anyone who has overdone the fried, “heaty” foods, or whose throat feels dry and scratchy after a cold.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Burdock root · Randomized controlled trial, 60 participants · 2026
    Compared with placebo, root powder was associated with higher superoxide dismutase and catalase, lower malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein, and smaller ovarian volumes. Hirsutism and menstrual frequency results are not reported in the abstract.Limitation: Small single-centre trial of 60 women, recruited by convenience sampling. The 460 mg/day dose is much smaller than typical food intake.PubMed 41757842 · 2 more burdock root studies
  • Snow fungus · Randomized controlled trial · 2018
    The Tremella fuciformis groups showed greater improvements than placebo in subjective memory complaint scores, short-term memory and executive function tests. Adverse event frequency was similar across high-dose, low-dose and placebo groups.Limitation: Small sample with only 15 people in the placebo group and a short 8-week duration; the brain imaging findings were exploratory.PubMed 29319408

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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