Salted Mustard Greens, Peppercorn & Pork Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

Some people develop what traditional Chinese food therapy calls a “cold stomach” — often from eating too many cold or raw foods over time. The telltale signs are a bland taste in the mouth, a tendency to produce clear saliva, nausea, poor appetite, and a stomach that feels ice-cold and is relieved by warmth. Bro Niu loves this hearty soup because it works on several levels at once: salted mustard greens add a pleasant tang while traditionally warming the middle, white peppercorns bring gentle heat that settles the stomach, and slow-cooked pork tripe (the pig’s stomach) is valued in Chinese food therapy for nourishing the organ it resembles.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Well suited to people with a cold-type constitution, cold stomach discomfort, nausea, or poor appetite after eating too many raw or chilled foods
• Those with peptic ulcers of the cold-deficiency type may find this soup comforting as a supportive dish alongside medical treatment
• People with yin-deficient heat constitution (symptoms such as dry mouth, night sweats, flushed cheeks) should avoid this soup — the warming peppercorns are not appropriate

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Salted mustard greens (xian suan cai): Made from fermented large mustard leaves; traditionally considered warming and qi-moving, used to ease cold retention in the chest and stomach
• White peppercorns (bai hu jiao li): Warm and pungent; traditionally used to warm the stomach and intestines, scatter cold, and relieve pain that improves with heat
• Pork tripe (zhu du): In Chinese food therapy, the stomach of the pig is thought to nourish and strengthen the human stomach and spleen; slow cooking renders it delicious and easy to digest
• Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Aids warmth, helps relieve nausea, and harmonises the other ingredients

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Salted mustard greens	75 g	Soak and rinse well to reduce saltiness; cut into pieces
Whole white peppercorns	1 tablespoon	No need to crush
Pork tripe	1 whole piece	Requires thorough cleaning (see Method)
Fresh ginger	3 slices

Method

1. Soak and rinse the salted mustard greens to remove excess salt; cut into pieces.
2. Clean the pork tripe: turn it inside out, rub vigorously with coarse salt and cornstarch (potato starch also works), rinse, and repeat several times until the odour is gone. Soak in fresh water for about half a day, then blanch in boiling water and cut into pieces.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls (about 1.6 litres) of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer for about 2 hours until reduced to 4 bowls.
5. Serve the soup together with the tripe pieces and mustard greens — the tripe softens beautifully and both soup and solids are eaten.

Bro Niu’s tips

The most important step is cleaning the pork tripe properly — repeated scrubbing with salt and cornstarch is the secret to eliminating any unpleasant smell. Once slow-cooked, the tripe becomes wonderfully tender and carries all the warming flavours of the soup. Remember: this soup is specifically for cold-type stomach conditions. Anyone with a yin-deficient, heat-prone constitution should not drink it. If in doubt about your constitution, consult a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner or your doctor.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Kelvin): My mother has a cold stomach with frequent bloating and vomiting. Would this soup work for her, and how often can she drink it? Bro Niu: This soup is very suitable for people with a cold stomach. Once a week is a good frequency to start with.

• Q (Kar): Can I leave out the ginger and use tangerine peel (chen pi) instead? Even a small amount of ginger makes my throat feel hot. Bro Niu: Yes, you can substitute tangerine peel for ginger. Ginger disperses cold, but tangerine peel regulates qi and is also a warming ingredient — a perfectly fine swap.

• Q (Monki): Can I add ginkgo nuts and tofu skin to this soup? Bro Niu: No problem at all — adding ginkgo nuts and tofu skin works well.

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Published April 21, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.