Fresh Smilax, Four o'Clock Root, Beans and Barley Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo tells the story plainly: a few days of too much goose and fried yellow croaker — both “triggering” foods (fa wu) — left his arms itching, since he reacts to yellow croaker. Everyone’s constitution differs, he notes; once you’ve found your own triggers, eating less of them keeps trouble away. This soup pairs fresh smilax and four o’clock root, both traditionally used to clear heat, with beans and barley to help drain damp — a comforting bowl when rich foods have left the skin unsettled.

Method

1. Rinse and soak all the herbs and beans; blanch the pork ribs.
2. Simmer everything in 2.7 L of water for 2 hours, reducing to 1.2–1.5 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

The “ru di lao shu” (literally “mouse that burrows into the ground”) looks a bit like a mouse, but it’s actually the root of the four o’clock flower, which has beautiful purple-red blooms. Its flesh is a little like kudzu, and it is traditionally used to clear heat and drain damp. This soup is clear and lightly sweet with little herbal taste, and is traditionally regarded as helpful for itchy skin, excess vaginal discharge in women, and sores.