Du Jiao Jin (Striga) and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Walking past an old Chinese-medicine shop in Sai Ying Pun, I spotted du jiao jin — a little wild herb that grandparents once reached for when a child had “gan ji,” that classic picture of poor appetite and a cranky, sluggish tummy. It’s less familiar today, but it has a quietly sweet, mild taste that children don’t mind, and tradition credits it with clearing liver heat, easing food stagnation, and strengthening the spleen and stomach. Simmered with a little lean pork, it makes a soup that’s been used for generations to settle a child’s digestion.

Method

1. Rinse the du jiao jin; slice the lean pork.
2. Place everything in 1.4 L of water.
3. Boil for 20 minutes until reduced to about 600 ml. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

The soup smells clean and pleasant with no medicinal bite, so it’s easy for children to take. Besides helping a weak appetite, it’s also suitable to give a child who has caught a cold.