Double-Fruit Walnut Soup (Ginkgo Monk-Fruit Walnut Tea)

Why people make this soup

Acute bronchitis that isn’t properly cared for can settle into a chronic form, with a cough that keeps returning, plenty of phlegm, and bouts lasting two or three months a year. Over time the constant coughing can leave both lungs and kidneys feeling depleted — cough, wheeze, fatigue, an achy lower back and weak knees, and a faint wheezing in the throat. This Double-Fruit Walnut Soup is traditionally regarded as supporting the lungs and kidneys and as helping to “gather in” the lungs and settle the breath, making it a fitting choice for those with a lung-and-kidney-depleted picture.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits those with a lingering cough and wheeze, especially of the chronic, depleted type; also traditionally used for children’s persistent cough (halve the amounts)
• IMPORTANT: ginkgo core is mildly toxic and must be removed; keep ginkgo quantities modest — for a small child, only 1–2 nuts
• If monk fruit feels too cooling for you, swap in a piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi); if a cough lingers or blood appears, please see a doctor

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Ginkgo nut (bai guo): traditionally regarded as “gathering in” the lungs and settling the breath; the core is mildly toxic and must be removed before use
• Monk fruit / luo han guo (luo han guo): in tradition associated with clearing and moistening the lungs and easing cough; naturally sweet
• Walnut meat (he tao rou): traditionally regarded as supporting the kidneys and lungs

Ingredients (2 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Ginkgo nuts	10	shelled, core removed (mildly toxic)
Monk fruit	1	broken open
Walnut meat	~37.5 g	rinsed
Water	5 bowls	reduces to ~2

Method

1. Shell the ginkgo nuts and remove the cores. Break open the monk fruit. Rinse the walnut meat.
2. Simmer all ingredients in 5 bowls of water for about 1 hour, reducing to about 2 bowls.
3. Drink the soup and eat the ginkgo nuts and walnut.

Bro Niu’s tips

Ginkgo is traditionally regarded as gathering in the lungs and settling the breath, but the core is mildly toxic and must be removed. This soup is also traditionally used to help children with a persistent cough — for them, halve the amounts. If you are getting over a cold, this soup can be taken about twice a week afterward as a gentle, supportive tea for the airways.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Candy): Once I’ve cleared a cold, can the ginkgo–walnut–monk-fruit soup be used as an everyday tea to strengthen the airways? Bro Niu: Once the cold is cleared, you can take the ginkgo–walnut–monk-fruit soup about twice a week as a supportive tonic for the airways.
• Q (cbic): Is monk fruit too cooling? My mother is very cold in constitution and coughs hard, with lots of phlegm. Bro Niu: Monk fruit is cooling, so swap it for a piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi) instead.
• Q (Anna): Can this soup be taken while on antibiotics? Bro Niu: Yes, you can drink this soup while taking antibiotics.

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Published January 18, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.