Soups
Dioscorea, Fox Nut and Loach Fish Soup
Traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and support digestion in children
Why people make this soup
Loach fish may look unassuming — small, slippery, and a bit awkward to prepare — but Bro Niu 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.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits children and adults with weak digestion, poor appetite, fatigue, or lean build
- Traditional texts also associate loach with supporting liver health; the soup is commonly offered to those managing liver conditions (please follow your doctor’s guidance)
- The whole family can enjoy this soup — it is nourishing without being harsh or heating
- No specific cautions for healthy individuals; if a child is running a fever, wait until the fever has cleared before serving strengthening soups
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Chinese yam (huai shan): One of the most used ingredients in Chinese food therapy for supporting the spleen and stomach; gentle, starchy, and neutral in nature
- Fox nut / Euryale seed (qian shi): Traditionally paired with Chinese yam to strengthen the spleen and hold fluids; may have a mildly binding effect, so those prone to constipation can reduce the amount or swap for Job’s tears
- Loach fish (ni qiu): Traditionally considered sweet and neutral; thought to tonify the middle burner, support the kidneys, and warm the stomach and spleen; modern studies have noted potential supportive effects for liver enzyme function
- Red dates (hong zao): Nourishing, lightly sweet; add flavour and are associated with supporting blood and the spleen
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warms and supports digestion, balances the cooling tendency of some ingredients
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese yam / dioscorea (huai shan) | 38 g | Dried slices; soak and rinse |
| Fox nut (qian shi) | 38 g | Soak and rinse |
| Loach fish (ni qiu) | 450 g | See method for preparation |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | — |
| Red dates | 6 pieces | — |
| Water | 8 bowls (~1.6 L) | Reduce to 4 bowls |
Method
- Soak and rinse the Chinese yam slices and fox nut for 30 minutes.
- 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.
- Lower the entire bag into boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Lift out, and rinse the fish to remove any sliminess.
- 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.
- Place all ingredients into a pot with 8 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours until the liquid reduces to 4 bowls.
- Serve the soup and eat the fish and other ingredients alongside.
Bro Niu’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.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (reader, 2017): I cooked this soup but it came out slightly bitter — did I do something wrong? Bro Niu: This soup should not be bitter at all. Did you remove the intestines and gills? I use scissors to snip them out after removing the slime. The gall bladder may be the source of bitterness. Chinese yam and fox nut are not bitter, so the fish preparation is the likely culprit.
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Q (junjun, 2014): My two-year-old has been coughing since recovering from a cold. Can he drink this soup? And can children with internal heat or constipation also take it? Bro Niu: Loach fish supports spleen health and digestion, so yes, this soup is suitable. However, if the child has a tendency toward constipation, fox nut can be a bit binding — consider replacing it with one liang of Job’s tears (yi mi) instead.
Published October 16, 2012 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
