Lung-Qi Tonic Soup with African Sea Coconut, Tiger Milk Mushroom, and Snow Fungus

Why people make this soup

During a flu outbreak, beyond washing hands and avoiding crowded places, building up the body’s internal resistance is one of the most sensible things you can do. This soup is designed for exactly that: a gentle but effective lung-tonifying brew that Bro Niu recommends especially for children who get sick often and for elderly people with weaker constitutions. The two signature ingredients are African sea coconut — a real sea coconut from a specific African species, quite different from the common dessert coconut — and tiger milk mushroom (hu ru ling zhi), a prized medicinal mushroom from Southeast Asia. Both are well-regarded in traditional Cantonese food therapy for their ability to strengthen lung qi, ease coughs, and help clear phlegm. Together with snow fungus, lily bulb, apricot kernels, figs, and pear, the soup is soothing, mildly sweet, and nourishing.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family, including infants from about 6–8 months (half a bowl).
• Particularly helpful for children who catch colds frequently and the elderly with weaker lungs.
• Can be made as a sweet soup (with rock sugar, no meat) or savoury (with lean pork or pork lung).
• Do NOT drink during an active cold or fever — resume only after full recovery.
• Take 2 times per week as a regular preventive measure during cold and flu season.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• African sea coconut (fei zhou hai di ye): Despite the similar name, this is not the same as common coconut; it is a distinct fruit with a mild flavour and a strong traditional reputation for nourishing the lungs, easing coughs, and clearing phlegm. Bro Niu notes that counterfeit products exist in the market — buy from a reputable herb shop.
• Tiger milk mushroom (hu ru ling zhi, Lignosus rhinocerotis): A rare medicinal mushroom highly regarded in traditional medicine for supporting lung health and reducing respiratory ailments; best purchased as a whole unsliced piece and sliced fresh for use.
• Snow fungus (xue er): Nourishes lung yin and moistens dryness; associated with supporting immune function.
• Lily bulb (bai he): Traditionally used to nourish lung yin, calm the mind, and ease dry cough.
• Sweet apricot kernels (nan xing): Moistens the lungs and supports respiratory passages; the sweet (southern) variety is mild and safe. Note: only the sweet variety is used here — the bitter northern apricot kernel (bei xing) has mild toxicity and should not be used in large amounts.
• Dried figs (wu hua guo): Gently clears heat and supports digestion; adds natural sweetness.
• Pear: Moistens the lungs and throat; pairs naturally with the other lung-supporting ingredients.

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
African sea coconut	15 g	From a reputable herb shop
Tiger milk mushroom	15 g	Whole, then sliced by the shop or at home
Snow fungus	8 g	Soaked until soft; remove stem
Dried lily bulb	38 g	Soaked briefly
Sweet apricot kernels (nan xing)	19 g	If skin-on, blanch briefly to remove
Dried figs	4 pieces	Sliced
Pear or apple	2 medium	Cored, cubed
Water	8 bowls (~2 litres)
Rock sugar (if sweet version)	To taste	Add near end of cooking
Lean pork or pork lung (if savoury)	Optional	Blanch before adding

Method

1. Rinse the pear (or apple), remove the core, and cut into chunks.
2. Soak the snow fungus in water until expanded and soft; remove the tough yellow stem and break into smaller pieces.
3. If the sweet apricot kernels have skins, briefly blanch in boiling water and slip off the skins.
4. Rinse and slice the dried figs.
5. Soak the lily bulb briefly, rinse.
6. Place all the ingredients into a pot with 8 bowls of water.
7. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1 hour until the liquid reduces to approximately 4 bowls.
8. If making the sweet version, add rock sugar to taste near the end of cooking. If savoury, season with salt.
9. Serve warm.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup is good both sweet and savoury — as a sweet soup with rock sugar, or with lean pork or even a whole pork lung added for a more medicinal effect. African sea coconut is genuinely expensive (HKD 150–170 per liang at time of writing) and often counterfeited — buy from a large, trusted Chinese herb shop. Tiger milk mushroom should be purchased whole (unsliced) and have the shop slice it for you, so you can verify its authenticity. If African sea coconut is unavailable or too expensive, substitute with 1 liang of southern and northern apricot kernels (nan bei xing) to maintain the lung-moistening effect.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (May): If I cannot get African sea coconut, what can I substitute? Bro Niu: If you skip the sea coconut, add one liang of apricot kernels (nan bei xing) instead — they help moisten the lungs and ease coughs.

• Q (May): Is this soup suitable for infants under one year old? Bro Niu: Both this soup and the cloud fungus, white atractylodes, and hyacinth bean water are suitable for infants 6–8 months and older at half a bowl per serving.

• Q (Ling): Can I add cordyceps flower and quail to this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, you can add cordyceps flower and quail, though the soup will have quite a lot of ingredients.

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Published March 3, 2015 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.