Dried Ginger, Licorice and Poria Soup

Why people make this soup

When the weather turns damp and chilly, people with a tendency toward achy joints, heavy lower limbs, or a sore lower back often notice their symptoms worsen. In Chinese food therapy, this pattern is described as cold-damp settling in the lower body, and the classic response is to warm and move — using ingredients that are thought to gently drive out the cold and drain excess damp. Nourilo recommends this soup, based on a well-known traditional formula, for people who feel a persistent heaviness in the lower back and legs, mild swelling of the extremities, and general cold sensitivity in the joints. The formula is warming rather than stimulating, and can be simmered with a piece of lean pork to make it more of a proper meal.

Method

1. Rinse all dried ingredients.
2. Place everything (including lean pork if using) into a pot with 1.2 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for about 40 minutes until the liquid reduces to 600 ml.
4. Divide into two portions and drink throughout the day.
5. For a course of treatment, Nourilo suggests drinking 3 times per week for about 2 weeks, then assessing.

Nourilo’s Tips

Dried ginger (gan jiang) is not the same as fresh ginger in terms of its warming power. Nourilo is emphatic: for this formula, use dried ginger — it has a penetrating interior-warming quality that makes it far more effective for deep cold conditions than fresh ginger. Do not double the amounts of dried ginger and licorice if cooking for more people; Nourilo advises that just adding one extra measure (not multiplying by 4 for four servings) is enough, as over-dosing dried ginger and licorice can cause dryness and internal heat.