Yacon, Taro Stalk, Carrot and Pork Bone Soup (Xue Lian Guo Zhu Yu Xi Shi Gu Tang)

Why people make this soup

Yacon — sold in markets under the Cantonese name “Tianshan xue lian guo” (Tianshan snow lotus fruit) — looks like a sweet potato but tastes refreshingly sweet and juicy, almost like a cross between a pear and a water chestnut. What makes it particularly useful as a food-therapy ingredient is its high content of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of dietary fibre that feeds beneficial gut bacteria and has a low glycaemic impact. In Cantonese food-therapy tradition, it is associated with clearing heat, supporting the digestive system, and softening blood vessels — making it well suited to the dry autumn season when both heat accumulation and constipation tend to arise. Paired with cooling taro stalk and carrot in a long-simmered pork bone soup, the result is a naturally sweet, clean-tasting broth that the whole family can enjoy.

Method

1. Peel the yacon, cut into large chunks. Note: the flesh may discolour slightly — this is normal.
2. Peel the taro stalk and cut into chunks. Peel and chunk the carrot.
3. Blanch pork bones in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain and rinse.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.7 L of water. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours, until reduced to about 1.2 L.
6. Serve warm. The yacon and carrot are pleasant to eat with the soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup suits the whole family from young children to the elderly. People with diabetes or liver heat patterns are particularly well served by this soup. Nourilo notes that children with urinary heat (discomfort when urinating) can also benefit from drinking it. One mild caution: people with a cold or deficient constitution should not overconsume — moderate amounts are fine, but this soup leans toward the cooling side.