Xue Geng Tang (Jellyfish and Water-Chestnut Soup)

Why people make this soup

Some people, after a cold, keep coughing for a good long stretch. In the traditional view, a long cough can wear on the “lung yin,” leaving a dry cough with short, sharp bursts, scant sticky phlegm, a parched throat and a tired, drained feeling. This two-ingredient soup — jellyfish and water chestnut — is a classic, gentle pairing traditionally used to moisten the lungs and bring back some moisture for exactly that dry, depleted state.