Smilax, Ground Mouse Root, and Millettia Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When the weather warms up and humidity rises — as it often does in southern China in late winter and spring — many families reach for a pot of tu fu ling (smilax rhizome) soup. It is a time-honoured Cantonese way to help the body cope with the heavy, muggy days that breed what traditional food therapy calls “heat-dampness.” This particular version pairs three mountain herbs — smilax rhizome, ground mouse root (the dramatic local name for the root of a beautiful purple jasmine), and millettia — with mung beans and pearl barley. The result is a soup that is surprisingly light and sweet-tasting for such a dense ingredient list, and one the whole family can enjoy.