Bei Qi, Fang Feng and Bai Zhu Soup (Jade Screen formula style)

Why people make this soup

Lots of people get nasal allergies — the moment the weather shifts, the sneezing and clear runny nose start up. It’s not a big illness, but it nags at daily life. There’s a classic formula called the “Jade Screen” (Yu Ping Feng San), so named because it is said to stand like a screen against invading “evil qi.” It is built on three herbs — astragalus, fang feng and bai zhu — and is traditionally used to support qi and secure the body’s surface. As a homely food, Nourilo cooks it with ginger and red dates, which are thought to help an allergy-prone constitution.