Fresh Yam, Dendrobium, Carrot and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Most people in the West encounter dendrobium (shi hu) as an ingredient in expensive supplements or tinctures — but in Cantonese food-therapy tradition, the fresh stem is something you might pick up at a Chinese herb shop and toss into the evening soup. Fresh dendrobium is one of those ingredients that bridges the kitchen and the dispensary: raw, the stems are juicy and mildly sweet with a pleasant stickiness when chewed (that stickiness, Nourilo points out, is how you know it is genuine). Cooked into soup with fresh Chinese yam and carrot, the result is a light, nourishing broth with a gentle sweetness that is easy to eat even when appetite is poor.

This soup is particularly useful in the period after a fever or illness when the body is recovering — appetite is off, there may be a bitter or stale taste in the mouth, skin is breaking out, or the eyes are tired and dry. It is also a good choice for children with eye-related symptoms or for those managing blood sugar, as both yam and dendrobium have a long history of use in the dietary care of diabetes.

Method

1. Peel the fresh yam and carrot; cut into pieces. Rinse the fresh dendrobium stems and cut into shorter sections.
2. Cut the lean pork into thick slices and blanch briefly in boiling water; drain and rinse.
3. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Serve the soup together with all the ingredients — eat the yam, carrot, and dendrobium stems along with the broth.

Nourilo’s Tips

When choosing fresh dendrobium: wash a stem, bite into it raw — if it is genuine, you will feel a mild sweetness and a slight stickiness, almost like chewing a soft, refreshing grass. If it completely dissolves in your mouth with no texture or stickiness, it may be a substitute (water grass is commonly used as a fake). Dried dendrobium powder can be taken stirred into warm water separately — again, real powder will feel slightly sticky when mixed. For those who like ginger, a slice or two plus a piece of aged tangerine peel (chen pi) can be added without affecting the properties of this soup, and will add a mild warmth that suits those who find pure yin-nourishing soups a little cold. Silkie chicken (wu ji) can replace the pork for a more deeply nourishing version.