Sha Shen, Yu Zhu and Three-Fruit Soup

Why people make this soup

There are two common types of throat trouble that Nourilo distinguishes. The first is a heat-in-the-lungs type: inflammation triggered by eating too much grilled or fried food or breathing dry autumn air, which can usually be addressed with a simple chrysanthemum and green tea rinse or a cucumber-and-tea broth. The second — the one this soup is designed for — is a yin-deficiency type: the throat dryness and soreness that comes from chronic overwork, poor sleep, and burning the candle at both ends. People with this pattern often notice symptoms are worst in the morning, and they may have a mildly red complexion, persistent fatigue, and a voice that tends toward hoarseness rather than sharp pain. This soup is one of Nourilo’s favourite everyday remedies for that state, and it is gentle enough to be used as a general family soup.