Soups
Grassleaf Sweetflag, Polygala, Poria and Schisandra Soup
Traditionally used to calm the mind and support concentration
Why people make this soup
Bro Niu wrote this one with two groups in mind: children who are a little slower in speech or learning, restless or easily distracted, and older adults noticing scattered attention or fading memory. Either way, early care matters — and a suitable food-therapy soup can play a gentle supporting role. This combination is built around herbs long used in traditional kitchens to settle the spirit and sharpen focus, rounded out with dried scallops for a deliciously savoury broth.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Children with developmental delay, restlessness or poor focus, and older adults with scattered attention or memory concerns; traditionally regarded as helpful for nervous exhaustion too.
- For any genuine developmental or cognitive concern, please see a doctor early — this soup supports, it does not replace medical care.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Grassleaf sweetflag (shi chang pu): traditionally used to open the senses and calm the spirit.
- Polygala (yuan zhi): long associated with settling the heart and easing restlessness, palpitations and forgetfulness.
- Poria / fu shen (fu shen): traditionally used to calm the mind.
- Schisandra (wu wei zi): traditionally used to nourish the liver and support restful sleep.
- Dried scallops (yao zhu): add umami and make the herbal soup tastier.
Ingredients (3 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grassleaf sweetflag | ~11 g (3 qian) | Rinse, soak |
| Polygala root | ~11 g (3 qian) | Rinse, soak |
| Poria / fu shen | ~19 g (5 qian) | Rinse, soak |
| Schisandra berries | ~11 g (3 qian) | Rinse, soak |
| Dried scallops | 4 | Soak; keep soaking water |
Method
- Rinse and soak the herbs and scallops separately.
- Add everything — including the scallops’ soaking water — to 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 1.5 hours, reducing to 3 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup has a faint herbal taste and is fine for young and old. It is traditionally regarded as helpful for nervous exhaustion and for restless, hyperactive children. (A reader asked, and yes — you can add pork ribs if you like.)
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Fiona): Can people with G6PD deficiency (favism) drink this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, people with favism can drink this soup.
- Q (Sukiwu): Can I add pork ribs to this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, you can add pork ribs, no problem.
- Q (jiu): My 12-year-old son often has loose, watery stools; sometimes small water blisters on his fingers, and sweat around the scrotum — seems damp. Any tea suitable for him? Bro Niu: Use stir-fried hyacinth bean (~38 g), euryale seed (~38 g), poria (~19 g) and 5 red dates in a pork soup to help strengthen the spleen and firm the stool; for the whole family, add Chinese yam and lotus seed (~38 g each). Separately, simmer ~113 g fresh houttuynia in water for 15 minutes as an external wash — very effective for scrotal eczema; dab on with cotton a few times over 4–5 days.
Published August 25, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
