Prince Ginseng, White Hyacinth Bean and Pearl Barley Soup

Why people make this soup

Every year as early summer arrives, hand, foot and mouth disease picks up again among young children. The illness — mainly caused by enteroviruses — typically affects children between two and five years old, bringing fever, runny nose, poor appetite, mouth sores, and sometimes a rash on the hands, feet and around the nails. Parents who want to do something supportive at the kitchen level often turn to a gentle nourishing soup. This recipe uses three mild ingredients that together support the spleen and stomach — the digestive foundation in Chinese food-therapy thinking — without being too rich or too warming for a child whose system is already under stress.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Designed for young children during or recovering from hand, foot and mouth disease, especially those with a weaker constitution who might not tolerate very cooling remedies.
• Also suitable for children who are physically delicate, have poor appetite, or tend to catch illnesses easily.
• If the child currently has a fever, omit the prince ginseng and add 37 g (1 liang) of mung beans instead — mung beans help to clear heat without the gentle tonifying effect of tai zi shen, which is better once fever has passed.
• For loose stools alongside HFMD, add 37 g (1 liang) of gordon euryale seed (qian shi) to the recipe.
• Not suitable during acute cold or flu (wait until the fever is gone before giving this soup).

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Prince ginseng (tai zi shen): Despite the name, tai zi shen is not a true ginseng — it belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family (the pink/carnation family) and is much gentler in action than either ginseng or codonopsis. In Chinese tradition it is seen as appropriate for children because it gently supports qi without being too warming or forceful. It is sometimes called “children’s ginseng” for this reason.
• White hyacinth bean (bian dou): Traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness — qualities associated in Chinese food therapy with supporting digestion and reducing susceptibility to seasonal illness.
• Pearl barley (yi mi): A staple of southern Chinese wellness cooking, raw pearl barley is associated with draining dampness, supporting the spleen, and offering a mild cooling quality. For a child with a cold constitution, a mix of raw and cooked barley can be used together.
• Rock sugar: Gentle sweetening; easier on digestion than refined sugar.

Ingredients (1–2 child servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
White hyacinth bean (bian dou)	37 g (1 liang)	Dried; soak briefly before cooking
Raw pearl barley (sheng yi mi)	37 g (1 liang)	Raw (not pre-toasted); use mix of raw and cooked for cold-constitution children
Prince ginseng (tai zi shen)	~7.5 g (2 qian)	Omit and replace with mung beans if child currently has a fever
Rock sugar	To taste	Add at the end

Method

1. Soak all ingredients in cold water for 20–30 minutes, then rinse and drain.
2. Place hyacinth bean, pearl barley and prince ginseng in a pot with 5 bowls (approximately 1.2 litres) of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the liquid reduces to about 2 bowls and the beans are soft.
4. Add rock sugar, stir to dissolve, and serve.
5. Children can eat the softened beans and barley as well as drink the soup.

Bro Niu’s tips

Tai zi shen is sometimes confused with other types of ginseng, but it has a gentler action — so gentle that it is sometimes called “pea ginseng” or “children’s ginseng” in folk tradition. This is exactly what makes it suitable for young ones. If your child’s stools are loose during illness, simply add some qian shi (gordon euryale seed) to the pot. And if your child is still feverish when you want to make this, swap the tai zi shen for mung beans to lean the recipe toward clearing heat rather than tonifying.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Chow angel): My six-year-old had a fever and the doctor found sores in his mouth and said it was hand, foot and mouth disease. He also has loose stools these past few days. Is this soup suitable? Will it be too cooling? Bro Niu: This soup is suitable for your son and is not cooling. If stools are loose, add 1 liang of qian shi (gordon euryale seed) together with the other ingredients.

• Q (Joyce): My child is 2 years old and currently has hand, foot and mouth disease with a fever. Can I add the prince ginseng? Bro Niu: If the child is currently running a fever, do not use the prince ginseng. Replace it with 1 liang of mung beans instead — this helps clear heat and relieve toxicity.

• Q (Yee): Can an 8-month-old baby with hand, foot and mouth disease drink this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, a baby with HFMD can have this soup. You can also cook mung beans, raw pearl barley and red beans together for about an hour, blend to a smooth puree, let it cool, then offer that to the baby.

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Published April 15, 2014 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.