Dried Oyster, Fat Choy, Shiitake and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

After days of festive eating — rich meats, fried foods, too many sweets — it is very common to feel bloated, heavy, and vaguely “overheated”: inflamed gums, a bitter taste in the mouth, or simply a dull digestive discomfort. This soup uses the leftover Lunar New Year staples — dried oysters (hao shi) and fat choy (fa cai) — not just for their auspicious symbolism of “prosperity,” but because they genuinely work well together as a post-celebration digestive reset.

Interestingly, fat choy has a long history of being used by teachers in Cantonese traditional households, because chalk dust inhalation was an occupational hazard; the black moss was believed to help “draw out” fine particulates from the body. While that traditional rationale is charmingly old-fashioned, the soup itself is deeply nourishing and tastes wonderful.