Fresh Dendrobium, Pear & Fig Sweet Soup

Why people make this soup

After the Chinese New Year holiday, children often come home with stomach issues from overindulgence — too many sweets, fried snacks, and festive treats leave their digestive systems overheated and sluggish. Symptoms look like a noisy throat, small skin blemishes on the forehead, dry cough, or constipation. Bro Niu turns to this sweet soup as a gentle reset: cooling enough to ease internal heat, but pleasant enough that children will actually drink it.

Fresh dendrobium (shi hu) is one of the more elegant ingredients in Chinese food therapy. The orchid family plant produces fleshy, slightly sticky green stems that are mildly sweet and deeply associated with nourishing the stomach’s “yin” — the cool, moistening quality that keeps the stomach functioning smoothly. Traditional Chinese herbal research suggests dendrobium may support gastric acid secretion, blood sugar regulation, immune modulation, and antioxidant activity. That is an impressive list for what is essentially a pleasant, mild green stem you simmer in a soup pot.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for children and adults; whole-family recipe
• Particularly beneficial after illness, rich eating, or whenever dry throat, bad breath, constipation, or “stomach heat” is present
• Also supportive for people with consistently dry mouth and thirst
• If a child has fever, consult a doctor first — this soup supports recovery but is not a fever treatment on its own

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Fresh dendrobium (xian shi hu): Nourishes stomach yin and generates body fluids; traditionally associated with reducing stomach heat, supporting digestion, and moistening the mucous membranes; modern research suggests potential benefits for blood sugar and immune regulation
• Asian pear (xue li), skin on: Moistens the lungs and stomach; naturally cooling; a classic ingredient for soothing the respiratory and digestive tracts; leave the skin on for added pectin and fibre
• Dried figs (wu hua guo): Sweet and nourishing; associated with lubricating the intestines and supporting bowel regularity; also adds natural sweetness to reduce the amount of rock sugar needed
• Apricot kernels (nan bei xing): Nourish the lungs and support bowel motility; a common Cantonese soup ingredient; the combination of south (nan, sweet) and north (bei, slightly bitter) apricot kernels is a classic pairing

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh dendrobium stems	4–5 stalks	Rinse and cut into sections; substitute dried dendrobium 3 qian if fresh unavailable
Asian pears (xue li)	2	Rinse well, leave skin on, remove core
Dried figs	4 pieces	Rinse and cut in half
Apricot kernels (nan bei xing)	~19 g (5 qian)	Rinse
Rock sugar	To taste	Add at the end
Water	7 bowls (~1.4 L)

Method

1. Rinse the fresh dendrobium stems and cut into 2–3 cm sections.
2. Rinse the pears well, cut into chunks (leaving the skin on), and remove the core and seeds.
3. Rinse and halve the dried figs.
4. Rinse the apricot kernels.
5. Place dendrobium, pear, figs, and apricot kernels in a pot with 7 bowls of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
6. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until reduced to about 4 bowls.
7. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup should be eaten with the ingredients, not just drunk as a liquid — the cooked figs and dendrobium pieces are particularly effective for easing constipation when chewed. The soup is mild and naturally sweet, so children usually enjoy it without fuss. If fresh dendrobium is not available at your local Asian market or herb shop, dried dendrobium at 3 qian works fine. If dendrobium is simply not available where you live, a combination of ophiopogon root (mai dong) and jade bamboo (yu zhu) at 3 qian each is a good alternative.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Anonymous): If I cannot find fresh dendrobium, can I use dried? Is the quantity the same? Bro Niu: Use 3 qian of dried dendrobium — that is sufficient as dried herbs are more concentrated.

• Q (Liz): My child caught COVID and recovered. What soup can help restore his health? Bro Niu: You can use tiger milk mushroom (hu ru ling zhi) 3 qian, snow fungus (xue er) 3 qian, apricot kernels (nan bei xing) 1 liang, and dried figs 4 pieces, simmered with quail, partridge, or pork shin. Have it 2–3 times a week for two weeks — it helps rebuild lung qi. This soup is gentle and suitable for any constitution.

• Q (Anonymous): How many grams is 1 liang? How many qian in 1 liang? Bro Niu: 1 liang = 10 qian, and approximately 37 grams.

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Published February 11, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.