Soups

Ginkgo & Job's Tears Sweet Soup

Traditionally used to moisten the lungs and drain damp during chickenpox

In short: Ginkgo & Job's Tears Sweet Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to moisten the lungs and drain damp during chickenpox. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, children's wellness. Total time about 1 hr 45 min. Key ingredients: ginkgo nuts, job's tears (coix), rock sugar.

Prep
1 hr
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 45 min
Makes
600 ml
Ginkgo & Job's Tears Sweet Soup

Why people make this soup

Job’s tears comes in several kinds — including a wild-water variety that carries a particularly wholesome reputation. It is a humble grain that traditional kitchens have long prized, rich in starch, protein, vitamins and amino acids, and traditionally used to support the spleen-stomach, moisten the lungs and drain dampness. This ginkgo and Job’s tears sweet soup is a tasty, nourishing bowl traditionally given to children during chickenpox, when the skin breaks out in papules and blisters and there may be a low or moderate fever.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Ginkgo nuts: Fresh ginkgo seeds are toxic, and serious side effects have occurred after eating roasted seeds. Always cook them thoroughly, keep to the small amount in the recipe, and take extra care when serving children. Source: NIH NCCIH — Ginkgo

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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