Spearmint Black Bean Egg Soup

Why people make this soup

Xiang hua cai — a type of spearmint or aromatic herb found at Chinese and Asian grocers — has a distinctive clean fragrance and is valued in traditional Cantonese cooking for its ability to warm the stomach, dispel “wind” (the Chinese medicine concept covering sensations of bloating, cramping, or chills from external cold), and move stagnant qi. Paired with black beans, which in traditional usage nourish the blood and kidneys, and with pan-fried eggs that add warmth and richness, this soup becomes a gentle but effective remedy for people who run cold in their digestion, experience nervous or tension headaches, suffer blood-deficiency dizziness, or find their body struggles to tolerate tonic foods.