Fresh Dendrobium, Goji Berry and Clam Soup

Why people make this soup

At a Chinese herbal market you can sometimes spot thick, fresh dendrobium stalks selling at surprisingly reasonable prices. The real test of quality is texture: when you chew a piece, it should feel sticky and mucilaginous in your mouth. That slight chewiness signals the polysaccharides and alkaloids that traditional food therapy prizes so highly. Paired with sweet-tasting goji berries, carrot, and delicately flavoured freshwater clams, this soup is both genuinely tasty and thought to be particularly suitable for anyone who tends toward dryness — parched throat after late nights, gradual changes in eyesight, or people managing blood sugar concerns.

Method

1. Rinse the fresh dendrobium under running water, then cut into short segments.
2. Soak goji berries briefly in cold water, then rinse.
3. Peel the carrot and cut into large chunks.
4. Place the clams in warm water for 10–15 minutes to allow them to expel sand; rinse well.
5. Combine dendrobium, carrot, goji berries, and ginger in a pot with 1.8–2.1 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add the clams and continue cooking for 10 minutes until shells open.
7. Serve the soup with all the ingredients for eating.

Nourilo’s Tips

When buying clams, choose only those with tightly closed shells — an open shell before cooking usually means the clam has already died and should be discarded. Regular use of this soup is said in traditional practice to support a youthful complexion, nourish yin, and have general anti-ageing properties. It is mild enough for the whole family.