Soybean Sprout and Dace Fish Paste Stir-Fry

Why people make this dish

Common warts are caused by a viral infection and can appear anywhere on the body — most often on the face, hands and feet. Western dermatology uses liquid nitrogen cryotherapy to remove them quickly. But for those with only a few small warts who prefer a natural approach, Chinese food therapy offers an old folk remedy: eating soybean sprouts.

Bro Niu shares his own experience: years ago he noticed two small warts on his face — not painful, but bothersome. He consulted his food-therapy books and found a simple remedy: eat nothing but blanched soybean sprouts for three consecutive days, unseasoned, as many as you can manage. He made it through two days, found it nearly impossible to continue, but a few days after stopping, both warts had completely disappeared without a trace. Traditional reasoning holds that soybean sprouts — particularly the sprouted form with fine root fibres — can help dispel wind and resolve accumulations associated with wart formation. For those with a colder constitution, cooking the sprouts with ginger, garlic or warm-natured dace fish paste makes the dish much more palatable and more suitable.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for most adults as a regular vegetable dish
• Those with eczema should not over-consume soybean sprouts, as they are considered a mild “trigger” food (fa wu) in traditional Chinese medicine; moderate intake is fine
• Those with a cold constitution are advised to cook the sprouts with ginger and garlic, or pair them with fish paste as in this recipe, to balance the cooling nature of the sprouts
• For rapid removal of warts, liquid nitrogen treatment at a doctor’s office remains the fastest and most reliable option

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Soybean sprouts (da dou ya cai): Germinated from yellow soybeans; in Chinese food therapy, the sprouted form with fine roots is traditionally said to help dispel wind and clear accumulations, making it useful for addressing warts linked to liver-blood deficiency or wind-heat invasion
• Dace fish paste (ling yu hua): A warm-natured fish product commonly used in Cantonese cooking; helps balance the cooling nature of soybean sprouts; provides protein and makes the dish more filling
• Ginger and garlic: Both warm and pungent in nature; help to reduce the cooling effect of the sprouts and make the dish more digestible

Ingredients (2–3 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Organic soybean sprouts	450 g	Soak and rinse well; choose fine, naturally grown sprouts
Dace fish paste	150 g	Available from fish counters at Asian grocers or Chinese supermarkets
Garlic	small amount	Minced
Ginger	small amount	Minced
Cooking wine	to taste	A splash
Salt	to taste
Cooking oil	sufficient	For stir-frying

Method

1. Rinse the soybean sprouts thoroughly in cold water.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Add the minced ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly until fragrant.
3. Add the fish paste and pan-fry until lightly golden and fragrant on both sides. Remove and set aside.
4. Add the soybean sprouts to the wok and stir-fry over high heat.
5. Add a splash of cooking wine, salt to taste and a small amount of water. Cook for about 10 minutes until the sprouts are cooked through.
6. Return the pan-fried fish paste to the wok and stir together briefly. Serve immediately.

Bro Niu’s tips

When buying soybean sprouts, avoid the thick, very white, stubby-rooted variety commonly found in supermarkets — these may have been grown with chemical additives. Look instead for slender, naturally grown organic sprouts from an organic food store or Asian grocer, which have a longer, finer appearance. These are the ones with the traditional food-therapy properties. If you want to try the more intensive folk method of eating only soybean sprouts for three days, that is your choice — but the gentler approach of regularly including soybean sprouts, cooked with ginger and garlic, in your weekly diet will also have a gradual effect over time.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Wai, 2019): Can I try eating soybean sprouts for flat warts on my face first, before seeking other treatment? Bro Niu: Yes, you can eat soybean sprouts regularly for facial warts. For best results, also try mixing yi ren (coix seed / Job’s tears) powder with honey and a little water into a paste and applying it to the affected area once a day — this combination can speed up the process.

• Q (S, 2018): Is it true that the three-day remedy only works if you eat absolutely nothing else during those three days? What if you accidentally eat something else — do you have to start over? Bro Niu: Yes, the traditional three-day remedy requires eating only blanched soybean sprouts and nothing else for the full three days. If you cannot manage that, the easier approach is to simply eat soybean sprouts regularly as part of your normal diet and let the effect build gradually over time.

• Q (Jackie, 2018): I have flat warts on my hands. After having them treated with laser, can I eat coix seed powder and soybean sprouts regularly to prevent recurrence? Bro Niu: Yes, eating soybean sprouts regularly and taking coix seed powder is a good preventive approach. You can also mix coix seed powder with honey and cooled boiled water into a paste and apply it externally every one to two days. Of course, having the warts removed by laser or liquid nitrogen is the fastest method, but regular dietary support can help prevent them from returning.

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Published August 31, 2014 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.