Two-Vine, Chestnut and Pork Rib Soup (Er Teng Li Zi Pai Gu Tang)

Why people make this soup

Sciatica can arrive without warning — a radiating pain that starts in the lower back, moves through the buttocks, and travels down the back of the leg. It can come with burning, numbness, or a weakness in the affected limb that makes ordinary movement exhausting. Nourilo notes that a cluster of friends in their fifties recently came to him with this problem — a reminder of how common it is from mid-life onward, particularly in people who are sedentary, carry extra weight, or have diabetes.

This soup uses chestnuts as its central ingredient, valued in traditional food therapy for strengthening the spleen and kidney, and supporting bone, muscle, and tendon health. The three herbal additions — millettia stem, broad-leaf tinospora vine, and loofah skeleton — are all used classically to open the channels, relax the sinews, and relieve stagnation associated with pain in the limbs and lower back.

Method

1. Shell the chestnuts by first plunging them into boiling water briefly to loosen the skin.
2. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water; drain and rinse.
3. Soak and rinse the three herbs separately.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to about 1.2 L.
6. Serve and drink. Eating the chestnuts and pork is encouraged — but those with constipation should limit chestnut consumption.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup has a mild herbal flavour without being strongly medicinal — quite pleasant and easy to drink as a regular wellness pot for older adults dealing with stiff joints or back pain. Those with constipation are fine drinking the soup but should go easy on the chestnuts themselves. If you are taking any prescription medication, leave a gap of at least 2 hours between your medication and drinking any herb-containing soup.