Ginkgo, Euryale Seed, Peppercorn and Pork Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

This is one of those old-fashioned Cantonese soups that was once a staple in many households — the kind your grandmother would have made on cold autumn days when someone’s stomach was playing up. If you have been eating a lot of raw or cold foods and your digestion has started to suffer — loose stools, a cold, uncomfortable belly, poor appetite — this soup is for you. Pork tripe has long been valued in Chinese food-therapy for its warming, stomach-strengthening properties, and combined with ginkgo, euryale seeds, and peppercorns, it creates a deeply nourishing pot that goes after the cold and dampness at the root of the problem.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Those with a weak, cold digestive system — particularly people who experience frequent loose stools, watery diarrhoea, poor appetite, or a cold, full feeling in the abdomen
• Those recovering from general physical weakness, poor nutrient absorption, or flagging energy
• Men experiencing nocturnal emission and women with excessive vaginal discharge associated with spleen deficiency
• Children with poor appetite and failure to thrive (xiaoer ganjii)
• Those with a hot constitution or active fever should avoid this soup, as the pepper and tripe are warming in nature; consult a Chinese medicine practitioner if unsure

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Ginkgo nuts (bai guo): Traditional food-therapy uses ginkgo to secure the lungs and stop discharge. The core (green inner shoot) must be removed before cooking, as it contains a compound that can cause nausea if consumed in quantity.
• Euryale seeds (qian shi): Often described as a “spleen tonic,” euryale is considered to bind and consolidate — it is used when fluids are leaking out in the form of diarrhoea or excessive discharge, and is thought to nourish the kidney and spleen simultaneously.
• White peppercorns (hu jiao): Pungent and warming, peppercorns are used to drive out cold from the stomach and intestines, stop diarrhoea caused by cold-type patterns, and stimulate digestive function.
• Pork tripe (zhu du): Chinese food-therapy follows the principle of “like nourishes like” (yi xing bu xing). The stomach (tripe) is used to strengthen the human stomach — it is considered a gentle tonic for the spleen and stomach that addresses weakness and deficiency without being overly nourishing.
• Pork ribs (pai gu): Added for flavour, depth, and additional nourishment.

Ingredients (4–5 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Ginkgo nuts (bai guo)	10 pieces	Remove the inner green core before use
Euryale seeds (qian shi)	1 liang (~38 g)	Rinse and soak briefly
White peppercorns (hu jiao li)	2 teaspoons	Use whole peppercorns
Pork tripe (zhu du)	1 whole	Cleaned thoroughly (see tips)
Pork ribs (pai gu)	8 liang (~300 g)	Blanched

Method

1. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water to remove impurities; drain and set aside.
2. Remove the bitter green core from each ginkgo nut.
3. Rinse and briefly soak the euryale seeds.
4. Clean the pork tripe thoroughly (see tips below — this step matters).
5. Place all ingredients into a pot with 10 bowls of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.
7. Serve the soup and eat the ingredients together.

Bro Niu’s tips

Cleaning pork tripe is the part that puts younger cooks off, but it is worth the effort. First, trim away any visible fat. Then turn the tripe inside out and scrub it vigorously with salt and cornstarch — this combination draws out odour and slime. After scrubbing, soak in 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clean water and blanch in boiling water before use. Done this way, the finished soup will have absolutely no off smell. This soup suits the whole family and is also considered beneficial for people recovering from stroke.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (ET): Bro Niu, if I replace the euryale with water chestnuts, barley, and tofu skin, does that change the function? And can I use chicken thighs instead of ribs? Bro Niu: Replacing euryale with barley, water chestnuts, and tofu skin shifts the soup toward clearing heat and draining dampness. Using chicken meat or ribs instead is also perfectly fine — it becomes a different style of nourishing soup, more suited to autumn. Go ahead and try it.

• Q (reader “Fanny Chan”): For the past six months I have been going to the toilet constantly with loose stools. A TCM doctor said my spleen-stomach has damp-heat and toxic accumulation from past cold foods. I have been on Chinese herbs and also had a bout of gastroenteritis. What soups can help? Bro Niu: You can try a porridge with dry-fried flat beans (chao biandou) and euryale seeds — one liang each — cooked with white atractylodes (bai zhu) 4 qian and one piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi) and lean pork. Take 5 servings continuously. Make sure to actually eat the beans and euryale, not just the liquid — that is where the benefit lies. You can make a larger batch and divide it over two days.

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Published October 30, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.