Ginkgo Nut, Walnut, Tiger Milk Lingzhi and Dried Crocodile Meat Soup

Why people make this soup

In Cantonese food-therapy tradition, dried crocodile meat (e yu rou gan) is considered one of the finest ingredients for supporting lung strength and easing chronic respiratory weakness — it has been used in Hong Kong herbal soup shops for generations. Combined with ginkgo nuts (which have a long history of use in Chinese medicine for lung and asthma-related conditions), walnuts (associated with kidney and lung tonification), and tiger milk lingzhi mushroom (a Southeast Asian medicinal fungus associated with respiratory support), this soup is aimed at people who have a naturally weak constitution, experience recurring coughs that linger well after a cold, or have mild asthmatic tendencies. Nourilo makes this for family members who seem to catch every seasonal bug and struggle to fully recover.

Method

1. Prepare ginkgo nuts: remove the outer shell if needed, peel off the papery inner skin, and use a toothpick or skewer to remove the bitter green core from each nut. This step is important for safety.
2. Slice the pork and blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Drain.
3. Rinse and soak the dried crocodile meat, tiger milk lingzhi, and dried tangerine peel.
4. Add all ingredients to a pot with 2.4 L of cold water.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer.
6. Cook for 2 hours. Serve and eat both the soup and some of the solids.

Nourilo’s Tips

The ginkgo nut preparation step — removing the green inner core — is not optional. The core is where most of the naturally occurring toxin is concentrated. A news report once described a woman hospitalised after eating 60 roasted ginkgo nuts; this illustrates why strict portion limits matter. For a family of four, Nourilo suggests 20 ginkgo nuts total with a proportionally larger pot; children under two should not have ginkgo at all, and for young children the guideline is roughly 1 nut per year of age. This soup is clear and slightly sweet in flavour — children and elderly family members generally find it pleasant.