Three-Vine Safflower Peach Kernel Soup

Why people make this soup

People who stand for long periods, do heavy physical labour, or are carrying excess weight are especially prone to developing varicose veins over time. Traditional Chinese medicine considers vine-type plants — because of how they grow, spreading and reaching through obstacles — to have a natural affinity for activating circulation, dispelling wind, and unblocking stagnation in the body’s channels. This soup pairs three such vines with safflower and peach kernels to create a decoction that targets poor circulation and vascular stagnation. Safflower is worth a note: both Chinese safflower (Carthamus tinctorius, chuan hong hua) and the genuinely rare and expensive Tibetan saffron (Crocus sativus) are used in traditional Chinese herbalism, but for this everyday recipe the widely available Chinese variety from a reputable herb shop is what Nourilo recommends.