Soups
Kudzu Root & Job's Tears Soup
Traditionally used to clear heat, promote urination, and support healthy blood pressure
Why people make this soup
Bro Niu couldn’t resist picking up two very fresh kudzu roots fresh off the truck. Kudzu root is a wonderful soup ingredient — sweet in taste, cooling in nature — and is traditionally associated with quenching thirst, easing restlessness, and relieving headache, fever, and a tight, stiff neck and upper back. In dry autumn weather, when the body feels parched and the mind restless, kudzu soup is traditionally used as a gentle support. This “kudzu and Job’s tears soup” is traditionally valued to clear heat, promote urination, and support healthy blood pressure.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People supporting healthy blood pressure, or with dizziness, head fullness, chest tightness, a bitter or dry mouth, numbness, or scanty urine
- It does not replace medication — keep any prescribed blood-pressure medicine and tell your doctor if readings are unstable
- If you get a sore or “heaty” throat every time you drink kudzu, skip it and try old cucumber instead
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Kudzu root (fen ge): traditionally associated with clearing heat, easing a stiff neck and headache, and supporting circulation to the head
- Job’s tears (yi mi): traditionally used to strengthen the spleen, drain damp, and promote urination
- Tangerine peel (chen pi): adds fragrance and is traditionally used to regulate qi and balance the soup
Ingredients (3–4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kudzu root (fen ge) | ~600 g (1 catty) | Peeled, cut into chunks |
| Job’s tears (yi mi) | ~75 g (2 liang) | Soaked and rinsed; raw or roasted-and-raw mix both fine |
| Tangerine peel (chen pi) | 1 piece | Soaked soft |
Method
- Peel the kudzu root and cut into chunks; soak and rinse the Job’s tears and tangerine peel.
- Put everything in a pot with about 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer about 2 hours, down to 3–4 bowls. Drink the soup and eat the ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
Kudzu root is traditionally associated with supporting circulation to the head, and so with easing headache, dizziness, neck stiffness and ringing ears. This soup is also traditionally favored by those concerned about blood sugar or rheumatic joint aches. For someone with sensitive digestion or unstable blood pressure, simmer it the full time and add an extra slice of ginger and tangerine peel.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Bobo): My dad has the “three highs,” high uric acid and heart concerns — is kudzu soup suitable? Bro Niu: He can drink kudzu soup; pairing it with chi xiao dou (red beans), Job’s tears and tangerine peel is best. Red beans, though a legume, are low in purines and promote urination, which is traditionally favored for uric acid. Kudzu is traditionally associated with supporting blood pressure and blood sugar and can be taken regularly.
- Q (reader): Should I soak the kudzu chunks overnight? Elders say the brown water that soaks out is “heaty” — is that true? Bro Niu: No such thing. Kudzu is cooling in nature; once cut into chunks you can cook it straight away.
- Q (reader): Can people with diabetes eat Job’s tears? I heard they shouldn’t. Bro Niu: People with diabetes can have Job’s tears in soup. Use about 19 g; the red beans can be about 38 g.
Published August 30, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
