Soups
Tang Ge Cai (Wild Watercress) and Monk Fruit Lean Pork Soup
Traditionally used to clear lung heat, reduce phlegm, and soothe persistent coughs
In short: Tang Ge Cai (Wild Watercress) and Monk Fruit Lean Pork Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear lung heat, reduce phlegm, and soothe persistent coughs. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, sleep & calm. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: lean pork.
Why people make this soup
Tang ge cai is one of those humble vegetables that carries a disproportionate amount of food-therapy history. Related to the watercress family, it has a slightly peppery, earthy flavour and has been used in Cantonese kitchens for generations to address lung heat, phlegm buildup, and lingering coughs. It is available at Chinese or Asian grocers alongside other wild greens. Paired with monk fruit (luo han guo), which is intensely sweet and traditionally cooling to the lungs, this soup comes together as something genuinely pleasant to drink — sweet and clean-tasting, not medicinal — while addressing the kind of damp, phlegmy cough that tends to hang around after a cold.
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.
- Golden monk fruit
Across five randomized trials, monk fruit extract was associated with 10-18% lower postprandial glucose and 12-22% lower insulin responses. No severe adverse effects were observed.Limitation: Only five trials were included, and the authors state that long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and efficacy.PubMed 40362742 · 2 more golden monk fruit studies
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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