Huai Yam, Euryale Seed & Crocodile Meat Soup

Why people make this soup

Some children seem to catch every cold that passes through their classroom, and after each illness they are left weakened and coughing again before they have fully recovered. Some older adults who smoked for years are dealing with a similar pattern — a chronic cough and shortness of breath that never quite go away. In both cases, Chinese food therapy points to a depletion of the spleen, lung, and kidney systems, which in turn creates persistent phlegm and reduced respiratory resilience.

Crocodile meat is an unusual but traditional Cantonese ingredient — dried crocodile meat has been used in soups and stews for generations, specifically valued for its reputation of supporting the lungs and kidneys. Nourilo notes that the flavour of this soup is genuinely delicious, which makes it one of those rare remedies that people actually look forward to drinking. One reader commented that after following this recipe weekly for several months, she no longer heard her family member’s persistent cough — a testimonial Nourilo finds heartening.

Method

1. Soak the dried crocodile meat briefly, then blanch in boiling water and rinse (or blanch frozen meat directly).
2. Soak and rinse the huai yam, euryale seeds, apricot kernels, tangerine peel, and red dates.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 hours until reduced to approximately 900 ml.
5. Serve and eat both the broth and soup ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

The old-tree euryale seeds (darker in colour) shown in the photo have stronger kidney-supporting properties, but any good-quality euryale seeds work well. Dried crocodile meat from reliable sources has better therapeutic concentration than fresh, but frozen crocodile meat is more consistently authentic — Nourilo recommends frozen if you are unsure of the source of dried products. This soup can also be made as a double-steamed soup (炖汤) by placing all ingredients in a covered ceramic pot with water, sealed, and steamed for 3 hours — the result is lighter and more fragrant. If red dates are unavailable or you prefer to omit them, dried figs (wu hua guo) make a lovely substitute.