Walnut Partition (Fen Xin Mu), Lotus Seed, Fox Nut & Ginkgo Soup

Why people make this soup

Fen xin mu — the woody inner partition of the walnut — is a little-known ingredient that looks like irregular fragments of walnut shell. Available at traditional herb shops, it has an extensive list of traditional uses: consolidating kidney essence, reducing urinary leakage, addressing excessive vaginal discharge, and calming the nervous system. It can also be brewed as a simple tea for insomnia and nervous weakness. Paired with the better-known consolidating trio of lotus seeds, fox nuts, and ginkgo nuts, fen xin mu rounds out a soup that addresses multiple related symptoms simultaneously. It can be cooked as a sweet dessert soup with rock sugar or as a savoury soup with lean pork — both work well.