Three Black Soup (Black Soybean, Black Sesame and Black Dates)

Why people make this soup

Urticaria — commonly known as hives — is a common skin allergic reaction that is not contagious. The acute form typically appears after exposure to a triggering substance: a particular food, medication, insect sting, pet dander, latex, or chemical. But the picture becomes more complicated with chronic urticaria, where the immune system becomes dysregulated and begins reacting to a wider and more unpredictable range of triggers — or even attacking the body’s own cells. Stress and sleep deprivation are also recognised as factors that can lower the threshold for flares.

From a traditional Chinese food-therapy perspective, recurring hives often reflect underlying qi and blood deficiency, meaning the immune system lacks the stable foundation it needs to maintain a measured response. The approach Nourilo recommends is not to suppress the reaction from outside, but to gradually strengthen the internal terrain — and for this, he turns to three of the most nourishing “black” foods in the Chinese food tradition.

While acute hives can sometimes be helped by external washes — camphor wood chips (zhang mu sui) simmered in water, or honeysuckle flower (tu yin hua) decoction — this Three Black Soup is best used for ongoing, between-flare-up strengthening, ideally over several weeks.

Method

1. Soak the black soybeans for 1–2 hours; rinse and drain.
2. Rinse the black sesame seeds and dates.
3. Place all three ingredients in a pot with 1.5 L of water.
4. Bring to a full boil over high heat for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for a further 40 minutes, until reduced to approximately 600 ml.
6. Divide into 2 bowls and drink morning and evening (1 dose per day). Take for 4–5 consecutive days for acute use; or every other day for 1–2 months for preventive support.
7. Eat some of the solid ingredients — black soybeans and sesame — along with the soup for additional benefit.

Nourilo’s Tips

Dates of all kinds — red dates, black dates, and southern dates — are believed to contain compounds that help the body’s allergic cells react less intensely. For people prone to any kind of allergy, making dates a regular part of the diet is a simple and practical habit. If black or southern dates are not available, red dates (8 pieces) can be substituted. This soup is gentle enough for long-term use — there are no side effects with regular consumption. Eat some of the soup ingredients rather than discarding them.