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Crown Daisy Greens and Big Fish Head Soup

traditionally used to support healthy blood pressure, nourish the brain, and aid digestion

In short: Crown Daisy Greens and Big Fish Head Soup is a soup that traditionally used to support healthy blood pressure, nourish the brain, and aid digestion. It is most often made for digestive wellness, heart & circulation, blood nourishment. Total time about 35 min. Key ingredients: ginger, large fish head, shaoxing rice wine.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Makes
600–900 ml
Digestive WellnessHeart & CirculationBlood NourishmentEveryday Balance
Crown Daisy Greens and Big Fish Head Soup

Why people make this soup

Crown daisy (tong hao) is a leafy green that appears in markets from late autumn through winter. Its flavour is distinctive — a little like chrysanthemum, aromatic and slightly bitter — and it pairs remarkably well with a milky fish head broth. Nourilo notes that this vegetable is underused in Western cooking but is exceptionally nutritious: high in dietary fibre for digestive regularity, rich in potassium which is associated with healthy blood pressure, and a source of the calcium that growing children and ageing bones alike need.

For older adults dealing with high blood pressure or declining memory, who also find very cold foods hard on the stomach, crown daisy is a helpful choice. It does not need long cooking, and the warm broth from a pan-fried fish head is one of the simplest, most satisfying soups in the Cantonese repertoire.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Rice wine / alcohol: This recipe contains alcohol. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the NHS recommends not drinking alcohol; leave it out or choose another recipe. Source: NHS — Alcohol in pregnancy

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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