Five-Finger Peach Root, Ginger and Lamb Soup

Why people make this soup

Five-finger peach root (wu zhi mao tao) is a star ingredient in Hong Kong and Guangdong kitchens — mild, gentle, and loved for the faint coconut-like fragrance it gives to soups. It has earned the nickname “Southern Astragalus” (nan qi) because its qi-supporting properties are similar to the better-known astragalus root (huang qi), though a little gentler. When this root is paired with lamb — warming, nourishing, and deeply satisfying in cold weather — and fresh ginger, the soup becomes an excellent remedy for the kind of cold that goes all the way to the hands and feet, or for someone who just feels persistently tired and chilled.

Method

1. Rinse the five-finger peach root bundle thoroughly under running water.
2. Rinse goji berries and red dates; pit the dates.
3. Blanch the lamb in boiling water for a few minutes; drain and discard the blanching water.
4. Place all ingredients in a pot with 3 L of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours until 1.2–1.5 L remain.
5. Serve the soup and eat the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Lamb can have a strong gamey smell. To minimise this, add a few water chestnuts (ma ti) and a couple of pieces of dried longan (yuan rou) when cooking — this naturally tempers the smell and improves the flavour. Fresh lamb is available at some specialist butchers and is much better than frozen. If using frozen, look for dark-skinned grass-fed lamb (black grass lamb), which has better flavour. The five-finger peach root must be bought as pre-bundled bunches with visible orange-yellow skin — do not substitute or forage.