Wild Watercress, Golden Luo Han Guo and Fresh Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

The cooler months bring with them beloved communal rituals: barbecues, hotpot, late nights with friends and food that is — as Cantonese say — “leung yit” (warm and heaty). After an evening of grilled meats and charred skewers, many people wake up the next day with a scratchy throat, mouth sores, or that bone-deep achiness that comes from staying up too late on top of eating a lot of rich food. This is precisely when wild watercress soup earns its reputation.

Wild watercress (ye ge cai, also known as han cai or Rorippa indica) is a traditional favourite from the markets and mountain foragers of southern China. It is distinctly different from the garden watercress familiar in the West — stronger, slightly bitter, and medicinally more potent. Its active compound, rorippamide, has been studied for cough-relieving and antimicrobial properties, particularly against pneumococcus, influenza bacilli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Combined with luo han guo’s soothing sweetness and the clean protein of fresh fish, this soup is a trusted two-to-three-serving remedy after overindulgence.