Goji Berry and Wolfberry Root (Di Gu Pi) Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Wolfberry root bark (di gu pi) is the root of the same plant that produces goji berries, but its properties are quite different — where goji berries are warming and nourishing, the root bark is cooling and clearing. It is traditionally used to address what Chinese medicine calls “yin deficiency with heat” — a pattern common in menopausal women where deficient cooling leads to hot flushes, night sweats, mental agitation, and persistent tiredness. Paired with goji berries, which tonify the liver and kidneys and support vision, and simmered with chicken breast for mild protein nourishment, this is a gentle everyday soup with a pleasant, slightly sweet and mellow bitter taste.