Soups
White Radish, Hawthorn and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup
traditionally used to ease bloating, settle food stagnation, and strengthen digestive function
In short: White Radish, Hawthorn and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup is a soup that traditionally used to ease bloating, settle food stagnation, and strengthen digestive function. It is most often made for digestive wellness. Total time about 1 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: tangerine peel.
Why people make this soup
After the Lunar New Year feast — sea cucumber, flower swim bladder, abalone, fatty roast meats, glutinous rice dumplings — the stomach sometimes signals that it has reached its limit. In Cantonese food therapy, this state of uncomfortable fullness is called “food stagnation” (shi zhi): undigested food that sits heavily in the stomach, causing bloating, belching with a sour or rotten smell, and a general feeling of discomfort. Rather than reaching for antacids, Nourilo suggests this simple four-ingredient soup. White radish moves qi downward to ease bloating; hawthorn berries are one of the most well-known digestive aids in Chinese food therapy; dried aged duck gizzard lends a deeply savoury flavour while supporting the stomach; and tangerine peel ties everything together with its aromatic, qi-moving properties. It is a gentle, old-fashioned kitchen remedy that has been keeping Cantonese stomachs happy for generations.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Hawthorn
Skin hydration scores improved more with hawthorn fruit than with placebo (p<0.05). Changes in other skin phenotypes and leukocyte telomere length were similar between groups. Genotype-specific effects were reported.Limitation: Small trial in which 36 completed follow-up; the genotype subgroup analyses are based on very few participants and are exploratory.PubMed 40573097 · 2 more hawthorn studies - Tangerine peel
The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- Hawthorn: Can cause dizziness, nausea or digestive upset, and may interact with heart medicines. Little is known about its safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Source: NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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