Soups
Fresh Smilax, Four o'Clock Root, Beans and Barley Pork Rib Soup
Traditionally used to clear heat, drain damp and ease itchy skin
Why people make this soup
Bro Niu tells the story plainly: a few days of too much goose and fried yellow croaker — both “triggering” foods (fa wu) — left his arms itching, since he reacts to yellow croaker. Everyone’s constitution differs, he notes; once you’ve found your own triggers, eating less of them keeps trouble away. This soup pairs fresh smilax and four o’clock root, both traditionally used to clear heat, with beans and barley to help drain damp — a comforting bowl when rich foods have left the skin unsettled.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Anyone with itchy skin or feeling “damp” after rich or triggering foods; traditionally also used by women for excess discharge and for sores.
- If you have a known allergy, avoid your trigger foods; see a doctor for persistent or severe skin problems.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh smilax / tu fu ling (xian tu fu ling): traditionally used to clear heat and resolve toxins.
- Four o’clock root / ru di lao shu (ru di lao shu): the root of the four o’clock flower, with a texture like kudzu; traditionally used to clear heat, drain damp and move the blood.
- Rice bean, mung bean and barley (chi xiao dou, lü dou, yi mi): traditionally combined to help drain damp.
- Candied dates and pork ribs: add natural sweetness and body to a soup with little herbal taste.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh smilax | ~75 g (2 tael) | Rinse, soak |
| Four o’clock root | ~75 g (2 tael) | Rinse, soak |
| Rice bean | ~38 g | Rinse, soak |
| Mung bean | ~38 g | Rinse, soak |
| Job’s tears / barley | ~38 g | Rinse, soak |
| Candied dates | 2 | |
| Pork ribs | ~450 g | Blanched |
Method
- Rinse and soak all the herbs and beans; blanch the pork ribs.
- Simmer everything in 9 bowls of water for 2 hours, reducing to 4–5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
The “ru di lao shu” (literally “mouse that burrows into the ground”) looks a bit like a mouse, but it’s actually the root of the four o’clock flower, which has beautiful purple-red blooms. Its flesh is a little like kudzu, and it is traditionally used to clear heat and drain damp. This soup is clear and lightly sweet with little herbal taste, and is traditionally regarded as helpful for itchy skin, excess vaginal discharge in women, and sores.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (anonymous): Can it stop the itch of nodular skin eruptions? Bro Niu: This soup helps soothe inflammation and itching, but you need to take it for several days to see results.
- Q (anonymous): Could I make a blood-nourishing, detoxifying, damp-clearing soup for a child with black dates, red dates, red bean, pseudostellaria and euryale seed together? Bro Niu: Yes, that combination works; add ~11 g poria for an even better damp-draining effect. It’s mild and suits children of either warm or cool constitution; with the dates already in it you don’t need sugar — lean pork makes it even better.
- Q (anonymous): If a young girl is on her period, can I just leave out the red dates and keep the rest? Bro Niu: Red dates are fine during menstruation. Just avoid overly cooling and raw-cold foods, and steer clear of strongly blood-moving herbs.
Published September 7, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
