Soups
Dragon Tongue Leaf, Loquat Leaf, Rock Peel & Pear Soup
Traditionally soothes stubborn cough after a cold or respiratory illness
Why people make this soup
Anyone who has had a cold in Hong Kong or southern China will recognise the frustration of the lingering cough that stays weeks after everything else has cleared up. This soup was developed precisely for that situation. Dragon tongue leaf (long li ye) — a plant that is almost impossible to find outside of Cantonese herbal medicine shops but well known to Hong Kong families — is considered one of the most effective single herbs for clearing lung heat and easing phlegm cough. Combined with loquat leaf (pi pa ye, whose leaf extract is the basis of many commercial cough syrups globally), mixed almonds for lung moistening, and the tart, aromatic shi huang pi (rock peel), this is a soup with a serious pedigree for respiratory recovery.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Best for heat-type cough: dry cough, cough with yellow phlegm, sore throat, or respiratory tract inflammation
- Pregnant women should omit shi huang pi; a pregnancy-safe version: use 1 liang fresh dragon tongue leaf, 1 mandarin cake (ju bing) cut up, 1 pear (cored), and 1 liang mixed almonds, with 5 bowls of water simmered down to 2 bowls
- This soup may also serve as general prevention against lung-heat cough and pharyngitis
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Dragon tongue leaf (long li ye, Sauropus spatulifolius): A key herb in Cantonese food therapy for respiratory health; traditionally clears heat from the lungs, moistens the airways, and resolves phlegm cough and voice loss
- Loquat leaf (pi pa ye): The basis of commercially produced lung-soothing cough syrups; traditionally suppresses cough and transforms phlegm; also supports stomach qi
- Mixed almonds (nan bei xing): Lung-moistening and phlegm-transforming; the combination of sweet and slightly bitter almonds is a classic balance
- Shi huang pi (stone yellow skin, Clausena excavata): A slightly tart, aromatic bark used in southern Chinese cooking; traditionally associated with calming cough, warming the stomach, and clearing phlegm
- Pear (xue li): Gently cooling and moistening; associated with supporting lung and throat health
- Lean pork: Adds protein and makes the soup more nutritious and palatable
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon tongue leaf (long li ye) | 1 liang (~38 g) | Rinse well |
| Fresh loquat leaf (pi pa ye) | 5 qian (~19 g) | Rinse; the fine brown hairs on the back of the leaf should be wiped off or strained out |
| Mixed almonds (nan bei xing) | 1 liang (~38 g) | Rinse |
| Shi huang pi (rock peel) | 2 liang (~75 g) | Rinse; crack lightly |
| Pear (xue li) | 2, medium | Wash; remove core; cut into thick slices |
| Lean pork (shou rou) | ~150 g | Blanch briefly in boiling water, drain |
Method
- Rinse the dragon tongue leaf and loquat leaf. If using loquat leaf, wipe away or strain out the fine hairs on the underside — they can irritate the throat.
- Rinse the shi huang pi and crack it lightly.
- Wash the pears, remove the cores, and cut into thick slices.
- Blanch the lean pork briefly in boiling water; drain.
- Place all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls (~1.6 L) of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 2 hours, reducing to about 4 bowls.
- Drink the soup; eat the pear and pork.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is light, clear, and refreshing. As long as it is cooked for the full 2 hours, it is not excessively cooling in nature. It can be used as a regular preventive soup against lung-heat cough, pharyngitis, and bronchitis. For a child-friendly version without meat, substitute one mandarin cake (ju bing) for the shi huang pi and omit the pork — it will be just as effective for heat cough. Dried tangerine peel (chen pi) can be added to any variation. This soup is NOT suitable for cold-type cough with white, watery phlegm — for that, try purple perilla leaf (zi su ye) 3 qian, ginger 3 slices, and mandarin cake 1 piece, boiled down to 2 bowls.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (Ling): Can I make this soup without the pork, replacing shi huang pi with mandarin cake? Bro Niu: Yes — replacing shi huang pi with a mandarin cake and omitting the pork is fine.
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Q (Kristy): Can someone with cold-type cough drink this? Bro Niu: This soup is better suited for heat-type cough. For cold-type cough, use perilla leaf (zi su ye) 3 qian, fresh ginger 3 slices, and mandarin cake (ju bing) 1 piece cut up — boil in 4 bowls of water down to 2 bowls, and take 3 consecutive servings.
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Q (Brenda): My daughter-in-law is 3 months pregnant and has a persistent cough. What can she drink? Bro Niu: Try 1 liang fresh dragon tongue leaf, 1 mandarin cake (ju bing) cut up, 1 pear cored, and 1 liang mixed almonds. Cook in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls. This version is safe during pregnancy and effective for clearing heat and stopping cough. Take 3 consecutive servings.
Published April 29, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
