Soups
Ginger, Scallion and Sugar Broth
Traditionally induces a light sweat and dispels wind-cold
Why people make this broth
Summer rain can catch you out — sunny one minute, soaked the next, then back into an air-conditioned office, and a chill sets in. Bro Niu’s go-to is simple: get home, drink a hot bowl of ginger-scallion-sugar broth, bundle under a blanket, rest, and let a light sweat break. It is one of the oldest, gentlest folk remedies for the very first shivery stage of a cold.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Best at the very first chilly, shivery sign of a wind-cold; helps you sweat lightly and rest.
- Not for a feverish stage — a sweat-inducing broth is the wrong move once there is a fever; see a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): warming, traditionally used to dispel wind-cold and induce a light sweat.
- Scallion whites with roots (cong bai): a classic for releasing the exterior at the onset of a chill.
- Slab sugar (pian tang): warms and rounds out the flavor.
Ingredients (1 bowl)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh ginger | 5–6 slices | shredded |
| Scallion whites with roots | 3 | washed |
| Slab sugar | to taste | |
| Water | 1.5 bowls |
Method
- Shred the ginger; wash the scallion whites with their roots.
- Add to 1.5 bowls of water with the slab sugar.
- Bring to a vigorous boil for 3 minutes. Drink hot, then bundle up and rest to encourage a light sweat.
Bro Niu’s tips
This broth is traditionally most useful right at the onset of a wind-cold chill. (Separately, during viral or seasonal flu spells, some people sip a dandelion-and-licorice tea for a few days as a precaution — but that is a different, cooling drink.)
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (kathy): My 20-month-old caught a chill and took cold medicine; today he’s still sneezing and runny. Can I give him the ginger-scallion-sugar broth? Bro Niu: The ginger-scallion-sugar broth helps with the onset of a cold, so your little one can drink it.
- Q (Apple): Is this still suitable for a cold-type cough lingering on? Bro Niu: As long as there is no fever, a cold-type cough can take warming options like this.
Published June 13, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
