Night Queen Cactus, Carrot and Fig Pork Shin Soup

Why people make this soup

Fresh night queen cactus flowers (bawang hua) are prized for making a subtly fragrant, cooling and genuinely refreshing broth. This recipe is especially popular with people who have been eating a lot of fried or deep-fried food and find that their digestion has slowed to a crawl. Dried night queen flowers are more commonly used in everyday cooking because they have a richer aroma and a slightly less cold nature, but fresh flowers have their own seasonal appeal and are worth seeking out when you can find them. Both forms are traditionally associated with moistening the lungs, clearing heat, and gently lubricating the intestines.