Soups
Coconut, Tiger-Milk Lingzhi, Fig and Pork Rib Soup
Traditionally used to moisten dryness and soothe the lungs
Why people make this soup
Autumn air is dry, and dryness easily brings on a lung-dry cough — especially for night owls whose throats feel raw and whose coughing won’t settle. Bro Niu picked up an Indian coconut ball, which is traditionally associated with clearing heat, moistening dryness, and soothing the lungs, and paired it with lung-supporting ingredients. Tiger-milk lingzhi, mostly from Southeast Asia, is traditionally valued for the respiratory tract — nasal sensitivity, lingering cough, wheezing. With moistening almonds and figs and pork ribs, it makes a comforting autumn-and-winter pot.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits the whole family in dry weather; traditionally helpful for long-time smokers, weak lung-qi, and allergy-type coughs
- If a cough comes with fever or won’t go away, treat this as food only and please see a doctor
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Coconut (ye zi): traditionally clears heat, moistens dryness, and soothes the lungs
- Tiger-milk lingzhi (hu ru ling zhi): traditionally associated with easing respiratory discomfort
- North and south almonds (nan bei xing): traditionally moisten the lungs and ease cough
- Dried figs (wu hua guo): traditionally moisten the lungs and add natural sweetness
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mini coconut | 1 | washed, cut into pieces |
| Tiger-milk lingzhi | 3 qian | rinsed |
| North and south almonds | ~40 g | rinsed |
| Dried figs | 4 | rinsed |
| Pork ribs | ~300 g | blanched |
Method
- Wash the coconut and cut into pieces; rinse the other ingredients.
- Blanch the pork ribs.
- Simmer everything in 8 to 9 bowls of water for 2 hours, reducing to 4 bowls.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is clear, moistening, and tasty — fine for young and old. It is traditionally helpful for long-time smokers, weak lung-qi, and allergic-type coughs.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (JW): Since COVID in 2020 I’ve had a recurring cough and wheeze; cordyceps capsules haven’t fixed it. Any daily food-therapy soup? Bro Niu: Try 1 tael walnut, 15 ginkgo nuts, 1 tael north-and-south almonds, 1 tangerine peel, and 4 figs with one frozen partridge in 8 bowls of water simmered down to 4, split over 2 days, 2 batches a week until it improves. It gently supports lung, spleen and kidney. Core the ginkgo nuts, and do eat some of the ginkgo, walnut and partridge.
- Q (dada): My 9-year-old has coughed for a month, worse at night; the doctor says she runs cold with weak lungs. How should I make crocodile-meat soup? Bro Niu: Use 3 qian tiger-milk lingzhi, 5 qian each north-and-south almonds and lily bulb, 1 tangerine peel, 5 red dates, and 1 tael dried crocodile meat, simmered 2 hours; add lean pork for the family. 2 to 3 batches; it supports lung-spleen-kidney-deficiency cough.
- Q (Emma): I’ve had recurring bronchitis for two months. I drink fish-mint (yu xing cao) constantly but the family worries it’s too cold. What can I do? Bro Niu: Fish-mint is cold in nature and not for long-term use. Try 1 tael loquat leaf, 1 to 2 cored apples, 5 figs, 1 tael lily bulb, and 1 tael almonds; lean pork is fine. It helps regulate qi, resolve phlegm, and ease cough, neither cold nor drying. If phlegm is yellow, use pear instead of apple. 3 batches.
Published October 27, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
