Wild Watercress, Carrot & Crucian Carp Soup

Why people make this soup

Most people have experienced that particular exhausted aching — every joint feels heavy, the neck is stiff, and even mild activity feels like too much. In Cantonese food culture this is often described as “bone fire” (gu huo), and it can come on after long hours of work, a string of late nights, or in the early stages of a cold. Rather than reaching for painkillers, many Cantonese families turn to a pot of wild watercress soup. The watercress — known locally as tang ge cai — has a reputation for clearing this internal heat, while the crucian carp adds a richness that makes the broth genuinely satisfying.