Soups
Cinnamon Twig, Angelica Root, Ginger & Red Date Chicken Soup
Traditionally used to warm the uterus, improve circulation, ease period pain, and support fertility in women with cold constitution
Why people make this soup
Research and traditional Chinese medicine both recognise that uterine cold — a pattern in which the reproductive system is chronically under-nourished by warmth and circulation — is associated with fertility difficulties in a significant proportion of women. The classic signs are cold hands and feet, scanty or irregular periods with cramps, a feeling of coldness in the lower abdomen, low energy, and reduced libido. This is not a “cure” for infertility, but it is a well-established food-based approach to warming the body from within — one that many women who combine it with a warming lifestyle (hot foods and drinks, warm baths, reduced cold foods and stress) find genuinely helpful as part of an overall approach.
The key ingredients are gui zhi (cinnamon twig — note: the twig, not the bark) and dang gui (angelica root), paired with ginger and red dates. This is a warming combination with a long track record for menstrual health and cold-constitution recovery.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits women with uterine cold, period pain, cold hands and feet, pale complexion, fatigue, scanty menstruation, and those trying to conceive who have a cold constitution
- Men with cold constitution, digestive weakness, and cold extremities can also use this soup
- Caution: do not use during active colds, fever, or any external illness until resolved; those who run hot or have inflammatory conditions should be cautious with this warming combination; do not take this soup during menstruation — use it in the week before and after the period instead
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Cinnamon twig (gui zhi): The young twig of the cinnamon tree — warming, able to move yang energy outward to the limbs and through the meridians. Specifically used in Chinese medicine for cold-limb patterns and to warm the uterus and clear stagnation.
- Angelica root (dang gui): A key herb in women’s health formulas — traditionally used to nourish and move blood, regulate menstruation, and ease period pain. When combined with other ingredients, its use is considered safe in moderate amounts.
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Strongly warming; supports the middle burner (digestion) and reinforces the warming action of the cinnamon twig.
- Red dates (hong zao): Nourish qi and blood; moderate the warming properties of the formula and add sweetness.
- Mountain / free-range chicken (shan ji): A free-range bird with leaner, firmer flesh; valued for its tonic properties. Regular chicken or silkie chicken works equally well.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon twig (gui zhi) | 6 g | Rinse; note: this is the twig, not cinnamon bark |
| Angelica root (dang gui) | 9 g | Rinse; from herb shop |
| Fresh ginger | 4 slices | |
| Red dates (pitted) | 6 pieces | Remove pits |
| Mountain chicken (or regular/silkie chicken) | 1 whole | Clean, cut into pieces, and blanch |
Method
- Clean and cut the chicken into pieces; blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.
- Pit the red dates. Rinse the cinnamon twig, angelica root, and remaining ingredients.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 8 cups (about 1.9 litres) of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to about 4 cups.
- Serve the soup and eat the chicken and dates.
Bro Niu’s tips
Mountain chicken gives a particularly tasty broth but regular chicken or silkie chicken works just as well — silkie is especially good postpartum. If gui zhi is hard to find abroad, dried ginger (gan jiang) can be used as a substitute — it warms the interior strongly. This soup improves blood circulation and is helpful for anyone — male or female — with a chronically cold constitution. Do not take during menstruation: start after the period ends and take 1–2 servings per week for one to two months to assess the effect.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Chingching): I had a uterine fibroid removed surgically and now also have endometriosis. I have cold-uterus symptoms but was told not to take angelica. Can I still drink this soup? Bro Niu: You can drink this soup. When angelica is used together with other ingredients in a balanced formula like this, moderate amounts are generally fine — it is only problematic when taken on its own or in large quantities with certain conditions.
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Q (ms yeung): I am always cold, get spots before my period, and have very painful periods. Would this soup suit me? Bro Niu: Try: bei qi (astragalus), fang feng (siler root), bai zhu (white atractylodes), and gui zhi — 3 qian of each — with 3 slices of ginger and 6 red dates, 5 cups of water reduced to 2 cups. Take 3 times a week for three weeks and observe the effect. [Follow-up: the reader reported one month later that she had become pregnant after following this and other advice.]
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Q (Wai): Does this soup have any benefit for men? Bro Niu: Men with a cold constitution can absolutely benefit — this soup also helps improve sperm motility.
Published November 2, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
