Dioscorea, Fox Nut and Loach Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

Loach fish may look unassuming — small, slippery, and a bit awkward to prepare — but Nourilo picked some up at the market and decided they were worth the effort. In Japan, loach is called “water ginseng,” reflecting a shared East Asian tradition of valuing this little freshwater fish for its nourishing qualities. Combined with Chinese yam (huai shan) and fox nut (qian shi), both classic ingredients for supporting the digestive system, this soup is a gentle but effective recipe for children who seem perpetually tired, eat too little, or do not seem to be thriving quite as well as their peers. It also benefits the whole family, including adults dealing with general fatigue or digestive weakness.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the Chinese yam slices and fox nut for 30 minutes.
2. Place the live or very fresh loach fish into a fish soup bag (a fine mesh bag sold at cookware shops) and tie it securely.
3. Lower the entire bag into boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Lift out, and rinse the fish to remove any sliminess.
4. Lightly pan-fry the fish (still in or out of the bag) in a small amount of oil until just golden — this removes any muddy smell.
5. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.4 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours until the liquid reduces to 1.2 L.
6. Serve the soup and eat the fish and other ingredients alongside.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key to handling loach fish is the soup bag — those slippery little fish will jump around if you try to handle them directly. The bag goes straight into boiling water, which stops them immediately. After blanching, rinse off the slime and pan-fry until fragrant before adding to the soup. Larger loach fish may need their intestines removed, but the ones kept in freshwater at the fishmonger for a few days will have already cleared their digestive tracts naturally, so small ones can usually go in whole. This soup is also beneficial for people with hepatitis.