Five-Finger Fig Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Five-finger fig (wu zhi mao tao) is a wild plant from southern China whose root is used in traditional Cantonese soups. Its leaves typically have four or five lobes, its fruit resembles a small peach, and the root carries a faint, pleasant coconut fragrance that infuses any soup it is added to. In regions where astragalus (huang qi) is not easily available, five-finger fig is used as a gentler substitute — which is why it is sometimes nicknamed “southern astragalus” or “earth astragalus” (nan qi / tu huang qi). Nourilo first encountered it growing in a fruit orchard during a trip to mainland China, alongside various mountain herbs.

This soup is mild, fragrant, and neutral in temperature — suitable for men, women, the elderly, and children alike, particularly when the body feels heavy, energy is low, or digestion is sluggish.