Soups
Fresh Dendrobium, Sha Shen, Mai Dong and Sea Whelk Soup
Traditionally used to nourish stomach yin and clear stomach heat
Why people make this soup
After a stretch of fried, spicy or heavily spiced food — or too many late nights — many people develop what food therapy calls stomach heat: thirst, bad breath, swollen sore gums and constipation. Plain cooling soups don’t always do the trick. Bro Niu prefers ingredients that nourish stomach yin while gently cooling the heat, like fresh dendrobium, sha shen and mai dong, rounded out with sea whelk.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suited to night owls and anyone heaty from rich food, or feeling thirsty, with bad breath, sore gums or constipation.
- Helpful as a general nourishing soup; people watching their sugar can swap the red dates for date palm fruit, which is less likely to raise blood sugar.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh dendrobium (shi hu): traditionally used to nourish stomach yin and generate fluids.
- Sha shen: associated with moistening and nourishing yin.
- Mai dong: traditionally used to moisten and clear heat while generating fluids.
- Sea whelk (xiang luo): associated with clearing heat and nourishing yin and the kidneys.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh dendrobium | ~37 g (1 liang) | Or ~4 qian dried; washed, cut into segments |
| Sha shen | ~19 g (5 qian) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Mai dong | ~19 g (5 qian) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Red dates | 5 | Pitted; swap for date palm fruit if watching sugar |
| Sea whelk (xiang luo) | 3 frozen | Or ~2 liang dried; washed and blanched |
Method
- Wash the fresh dendrobium and cut into segments; soak and rinse the sha shen and mai dong; pit the red dates.
- Wash the sea whelk and blanch.
- Add everything to a pot with 8–9 bowls of water and simmer for 2 hours until reduced to 4 bowls.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is fragrant and mild with little herbal taste, fine for young and old. It can also help those with an overactive thyroid or thyroid swelling. For people watching their sugar who find red dates too sweet, swap them for date palm fruit.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (reader): Can I use dried dendrobium? Bro Niu: Yes, use about 4 qian of dried dendrobium.
- Q (Karie): With diabetes I often get a dry, bitter mouth — what soup helps reduce that? Bro Niu: Stir 2 tsp of American ginseng and dendrobium powder into warm water daily to support qi and nourish yin against dryness. The soup pictured can also be taken regularly.
- Q (reader): Can I make it without the sea whelk, just as a plain water decoction? And where can I buy fresh dendrobium? Bro Niu: Fresh dendrobium is available at Chinese or Asian grocers, herb shops, and online. It’s fine to leave out the sea whelk.
Published February 19, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
