Wormwood Herb, Chayote and Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

There is a pattern of feeling that many urban dwellers recognise: waking up already tired, dragging through the afternoon, feeling full and bloated long after meals, and wanting to nap at any opportunity. In the framework of traditional Chinese food therapy, this constellation of symptoms is often described as “spleen deficiency with dampness and liver heat.” Nourilo came across a recipe featuring wormwood herb (mian yin chen) on a Beijing health programme and decided to try it himself. His verdict: despite mian yin chen’s reputation for strong, bitter flavour, this soup turned out surprisingly fragrant and drinkable — barely herbal at all when paired with chayote and ginger.

Method

1. Soak the lean pork in cold water for a few minutes to remove impurities; slice and set aside.
2. Rinse the capillary wormwood herb thoroughly under running water.
3. Peel the chayote and cut into chunks.
4. Place all ingredients into a pot with 1.8–2.1 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until the liquid reduces to 0.9–1.2 L.
6. Serve warm; the soup and the cooked ingredients can all be eaten.

Nourilo’s Tips

The whole family — young and old — can enjoy this soup. It is particularly good for those who tend to have damp heat in the digestive system. If chayote is not available, bottle gourd (jie gua) makes a good substitute. One important caution: any herb or ingredient that has gone mouldy must be discarded entirely — mould produces harmful compounds that cannot be washed away, and this applies to mian yin chen as with any other ingredient.