Perilla Seed, Ginkgo and Apricot Kernel Soup

Why people make this soup

Some children have a weaker constitution and a stubborn, phlegmy cough that lingers. When the cough is worse morning and night with thin, watery-white phlegm — a “cold-type” phlegm pattern — ginkgo can be used in moderation, as it is traditionally said to “astringe the lung and calm wheezing.” This folk soup combines perilla seed, ginkgo and apricot kernels and is traditionally used to direct qi downward, ease phlegm and calm a cough, making it a gentle helper for chronic bronchitis or wheezy coughs of the cold-phlegm type — in children and adults alike.