Solomon's Seal and Silkie Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

In traditional Chinese food-therapy, the arms and tendons are thought to depend on nourishment from the blood and fluids in the body. When those resources run low — through overwork, ageing, or prolonged illness — tendons can feel tight, the arm may struggle to lift above the shoulder, or the muscles may feel stiff and weak. This is the context where Cantonese cooks have long turned to yu zhu (Solomon’s seal), a sweet, mellow herb, combined with silkie chicken to make a gentle restorative soup. Nourilo finds this one of the most reliable everyday soups for people in their middle years who feel their arms “just aren’t the same as before.”