Soups
Hawthorn, Malt, Chicken Gizzard Lining and Green Radish Soup
Traditionally supports appetite and helps clear food stagnation
Why people make this soup
After the festive season it’s easy to overdo it — fatty chicken, rich beef, braised pork knuckle, melt-in-the-mouth pork belly. Eat too much of that and the stomach feels stuffed and sluggish. Bro Niu’s answer is this savoury pot: hawthorn, malt, chicken gizzard lining and green radish are traditionally used to support the appetite and help clear the stagnation that comes from meaty and starchy foods. A good one for the whole family once the holidays wind down.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits men, women and children who have been eating heavily and feel bloated or sluggish.
- Important caution: some of these ingredients are traditionally believed to reduce milk supply, so this soup is not suitable for breastfeeding mothers.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Hawthorn (shan zha): Classically used to help break down rich, fatty and meaty foods.
- Malt (mai ya): Traditionally used to help digest starchy foods.
- Chicken gizzard lining (ji nei jin): A classic ingredient for supporting digestion and easing food stagnation.
- Cassia seeds (jue ming zi): Traditionally used to gently support the bowels.
- Green radish (qing luo bo): Light and savoury, it helps “move” qi and lightens a heavy stomach.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn | ~5 qian (~19 g) | Soaked, rinsed |
| Malt | ~5 qian (~19 g) | Soaked, rinsed |
| Chicken gizzard lining | ~3 qian (~11 g) | Soaked, rinsed |
| Cassia seeds | ~3 qian (~11 g) | Soaked, rinsed |
| Honey dates | 3 | |
| Green radish | 1 | Peeled, cut into chunks |
| Lean pork | ~half a catty (~300 g) | Sliced, blanched |
Method
- Slice the lean pork and blanch it. Peel and cut the green radish into chunks. Soak and rinse the remaining ingredients.
- Put everything in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup supports the spleen, “moves” qi and helps clear stagnation, suiting young and old — but because several ingredients are traditionally thought to reduce milk supply, breastfeeding mothers should not drink it.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (Joey): Is it 3 qian of cassia seeds in this recipe? Bro Niu: Yes, I’ve corrected it. Thank you!
-
Q (Pat): I stopped menstruating three and a half years ago but still get hot flushes. Is ci wu jia (Siberian ginseng) suitable for me? Bro Niu: I rarely use ci wu jia in food-therapy soups. For hot flushes, you can use di gu pi (goji root bark) and floating wheat (fu xiao mai) 5 qian each with black soybeans (qing ren hei dou) 1 liang, simmered with lean pork. This is traditionally helpful for hot flushes and night sweats.
Published January 30, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
