Golden Carrot, Sugarcane and Water Chestnut Soup with Cilantro

Why people make this soup

Winter and spring are the seasons when chickenpox and measles tend to circulate among children. While vaccination has greatly reduced the risk, some children still catch these illnesses. In Cantonese food-therapy tradition, this simple, naturally sweet soup has long been used by families to help children feel more comfortable during recovery — the thinking is that the combination of golden carrot, sugarcane, water chestnut and fresh cilantro helps “clear heat and guide the rash outward.” The soup tastes pleasant and mild, so even a sick child is unlikely to refuse it.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Children recovering from chickenpox or measles, where the rash is appearing
• The soup is mild and cooling in nature — suited to conditions where there is heat and restlessness
• For everyday healthy children this is a fine seasonal drink; it is not suitable for children with cold-type constitutions who have loose stools or feel constantly cold

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Golden carrot (jin sun): Rich in beta-carotene and traditionally considered to nourish and clear heat. It gives the soup its natural sweetness.
• Sugarcane (zhu zhe): Widely used in Cantonese soups for its gentle, cooling and moistening quality. It helps make the soup taste clean and sweet without added sugar.
• Water chestnut (ma ti): Traditionally associated with clearing heat and resolving dampness. Keeping the skin on during cooking is believed to enhance this quality.
• Cilantro with roots (yuan sui): In traditional practice, cilantro is considered warm and pungent, used to help “open the surface” and support the rash in expressing outward rather than staying suppressed.
• Fresh coix seeds (sheng yi mi): Optional addition specifically for chickenpox. Chinese medicine considers chickenpox to be associated with internal dampness-heat; raw coix is traditionally used to drain dampness.

Ingredients (4 bowls — for a child to drink over one day)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Golden carrot (jin sun)	~600 g (1 jin)	Peeled, cut into large chunks
Sugarcane (zhu zhe)	2 sections	Washed, cut into segments, split open lengthwise
Water chestnuts (ma ti)	10 pieces	Skin on, rinsed, halved
Fresh cilantro with roots (yuan sui)	~75 g (2 liang)	Well rinsed
Water	8 bowls (~1.6 L)
Fresh coix seeds (sheng yi mi) — optional	~75 g (2 liang)	Add for chickenpox cases

Method

1. Peel the golden carrot and cut into large chunks.
2. Wash the sugarcane well, cut into shorter segments, and split each piece open lengthwise.
3. Rinse the water chestnuts thoroughly with their skins on, then halve each one.
4. Rinse the cilantro including the roots.
5. Place all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, reducing to approximately 4 bowls.
7. Transfer to a thermos flask and let the child drink small portions throughout the day.

Bro Niu’s tips

• If the child has chickenpox and is scratching, ask your local Chinese herbal pharmacy for wax-plum flower oil (la mei you) to apply on the itchy spots — it is effective at relieving the itch and reduces the chance of scarring.
• For chickenpox specifically, add about 75 g (2 liang) of raw coix seeds (sheng yi mi) to the pot when cooking. Chickenpox in traditional thinking involves internal dampness-heat, and raw coix is associated with draining dampness.
• Readers have also asked whether to add fresh imperata root (mao gen / bai mao gen). Bro Niu confirmed: yes, a bundle of fresh mao gen can be added when cooking.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader): Does this soup need cogon grass root (mao gen) added as well? Bro Niu: Yes, you can add a bundle of fresh mao gen (white cogon root) together when cooking — it is a fine addition.

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Published March 6, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.