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.

Method

1. Remove the outer skin and the second, harder skin from the Phoenix eye fruit. Tip: use the back of a cleaver to gently crack the fruit first — this makes peeling the tough inner skin much easier.
2. Peel and cut the carrot into large chunks.
3. Blanch the lean pork in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, and rinse.
4. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Serve the soup and ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

The second, inner skin of the Phoenix eye fruit is quite firm and a little oily. The easiest way to peel it is to use the back of a knife or cleaver to tap the fruit gently until it cracks, then the skin peels away more readily. This soup is light and fragrant, and cooks in just half an hour — a good choice for a weeknight dinner when time is short.