Sterculia Seed (Phoenix Eye Fruit) and Carrot Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Phoenix eye fruit (feng yan guo) goes by many names — ping po, Seven Sisters’ fruit, Nine-layered Skin, Pan’an fruit — and in Cantonese culture it is also a traditional offering at the Seventh Sister festival. Available fresh from late summer (roughly July to August), it tastes rather like chestnut when cooked and can be prepared roasted, stewed with ribs or chicken, or simmered in a quick soup like this one. Traditionally it is associated with warming the stomach, easing nausea and reflux, calming irritability, reducing inner heat, and clearing the eyes — making it useful for those with a tendency toward cold-stomach discomfort or mild eye cloudiness. This quick-cooking soup takes only 30 minutes and is family-friendly.