Soups
Gastrodia, Polygonatum and Walnut Lean-Pork Soup
Traditionally used to nourish and support the mind and memory
Why people make this soup
A friend of Bro Niu’s had been laid up for over a month with a cold and bronchitis, taking a lot of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. After recovering he felt his memory had slipped and his reactions had dulled, and asked whether any food therapy might help. This is the soup Bro Niu suggested — a mild, restorative brew traditionally used to support the mind and memory.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People who feel forgetful, foggy or run down — including after an illness — and want a gentle, whole-family tonic.
- Not for anyone whose cold has not yet fully cleared.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Tianma (tian ma): traditionally used to dispel “head wind” and calm the liver; long associated with easing dizziness and blurred vision.
- Huangjing (huang jing): traditionally used to support qi, moisten the lungs and strengthen the sinews and bones.
- Walnut (he tao rou): traditionally associated with supporting the mind and the kidneys.
- Red dates and lean pork: round out the soup and add gentle nourishment.
Ingredients (about 4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tianma | ~11 g (3 qian) | Rinsed/soaked |
| Huangjing | ~18 g (5 qian) | Rinsed/soaked |
| Walnut flesh | ~40 g (1 liang) | Rinsed/soaked |
| Red dates | 8 | |
| Lean pork | ~225 g (6 liang) | Blanched |
Method
- Blanch (out-water) the lean pork. Rinse and soak the other ingredients.
- Put everything into a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer about 1.5 hours, down to roughly 4 bowls.
Bro Niu’s tips
This is a nourishing, gently tonic soup the whole family can share, and it is especially helpful for people with nervous exhaustion or a blood-deficiency headache. But anyone whose cold has not fully cleared should not take it.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Amon): If I leave out the huangjing, what can I use instead? Bro Niu: You can use chuanxiong (about 2 qian) instead.
- Q (Fontane Leung): Can my 1-year-9-month-old drink tianma soup, or is it better to avoid it? Bro Niu: Very young children shouldn’t have too many medicinal herbs — their liver and kidney function isn’t fully developed, so they may not process the herbs’ properties. After age 3 they can have mild, gentle herbal soups.
- Q (bobumama): I want to make tianma-walnut soup for my son to support his mind, but he has some cough and phlegm morning and evening — does that count as an unresolved cold? Can he still have this soup? Bro Niu: If he only has a little cough and no fever, he can have this brain-supporting soup; you can add 10 ginkgo nuts (cores removed) and 3 qian of northern apricot kernel to help ease cough and phlegm.
Published December 30, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
