Prince Ginseng, White Hyacinth Bean and Pearl Barley Soup

Why people make this soup

Every year as early summer arrives, hand, foot and mouth disease picks up again among young children. The illness — mainly caused by enteroviruses — typically affects children between two and five years old, bringing fever, runny nose, poor appetite, mouth sores, and sometimes a rash on the hands, feet and around the nails. Parents who want to do something supportive at the kitchen level often turn to a gentle nourishing soup. This recipe uses three mild ingredients that together support the spleen and stomach — the digestive foundation in Chinese food-therapy thinking — without being too rich or too warming for a child whose system is already under stress.

Method

1. Soak all ingredients in cold water for 20–30 minutes, then rinse and drain.
2. Place hyacinth bean, pearl barley and prince ginseng in a pot with 1.5 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the liquid reduces to about 600 ml and the beans are soft.
4. Add rock sugar, stir to dissolve, and serve.
5. Children can eat the softened beans and barley as well as drink the soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

Tai zi shen is sometimes confused with other types of ginseng, but it has a gentler action — so gentle that it is sometimes called “pea ginseng” or “children’s ginseng” in folk tradition. This is exactly what makes it suitable for young ones. If your child’s stools are loose during illness, simply add some qian shi (gordon euryale seed) to the pot. And if your child is still feverish when you want to make this, swap the tai zi shen for mung beans to lean the recipe toward clearing heat rather than tonifying.