Soups
Wild Watercress, Carrot & Crucian Carp Soup
Traditionally used to clear internal heat, ease joint aches, and relieve sore throats
In short: Wild Watercress, Carrot & Crucian Carp Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear internal heat, ease joint aches, and relieve sore throats. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, bone & joint wellness, oral & throat comfort. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: carrot, honey dates, tangerine peel.
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.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Tangerine peel
The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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