Chinese Yam, Euryale & Dried Turtle Skirt Soup

Why people make this soup

Waking up multiple times a night to use the bathroom is exhausting — and it is surprisingly common, particularly in older adults and people who work demanding schedules. In traditional Chinese food therapy, frequent night urination is often viewed as a sign of kidney deficiency: the kidney’s “holding” function has weakened. Bro Niu encountered dried turtle skirt (the gelatinous cartilage rim of the softshell turtle) at a dried-goods shop and found it a practical, concentrated ingredient for this kind of soup — packed with collagen and traditionally considered deeply yin-nourishing. Combined with Chinese yam, euryale seeds, and ginkgo, the resulting soup is nourishing without being too stimulating, and is generally considered balanced enough for the whole family.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family as a general wellness soup
• Particularly helpful for older adults with frequent night-time urination, cold extremities, lower back ache, dizziness, tinnitus, or general fatigue
• Traditionally effective for women with excessive vaginal discharge
• Ginkgo nut cores contain a mild toxin — remove all cores before cooking; children should have only a small amount
• Farmed softshell turtle may contain hormones if raised with growth supplements; wild-caught is preferable, though increasingly rare

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Chinese yam (huai shan): A key ingredient for nourishing the spleen, lung, and kidney; helps consolidate the body’s qi and essence; widely used and generally safe
• Euryale seeds (qian shi): Specifically known for their astringent, consolidating action on the kidney; traditionally used to stop leakage — whether that is frequent urination, vaginal discharge, or loose stools
• Ginkgo nuts (bai guo): Also have a consolidating action on the lung and kidney; traditionally paired with euryale for frequency and discharge issues — but must be de-cored and used in appropriate amounts
• Turtle skirt (shui yu qun): The gelatinous cartilage-rich rim of the softshell turtle; in traditional food therapy this is considered a superior yin tonic — moistening, nourishing, and clearing of deficiency heat

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chinese yam (dried)	1 liang (~38 g)	Soaked and rinsed
Euryale seeds	1 liang (~38 g)	Soaked and rinsed
Ginkgo nuts	15 pieces	Shelled; bitter green core removed
Dried turtle skirt (rehydrated)	2 liang (~75 g)	Or substitute: 1 fresh softshell turtle; or 300 g lean pork
Water	8 bowls

Method

1. If using dried turtle skirt: soak in cold water overnight. The next day, blanch in water with ginger and spring onion for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and allow to steep for 2 hours before using.
2. Shell the ginkgo nuts and remove the bitter green core from each one.
3. Soak and rinse the Chinese yam and euryale seeds.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 hours until the broth reduces to around 3–4 bowls.
5. Serve and eat both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup nourishes deeply without causing dryness or overheating — it is what traditional food therapy calls “tonifying without dryness,” making it suitable for the whole family. It is particularly effective for women with excessive vaginal discharge. If turtle skirt or fresh softshell turtle is not available, lean pork is a perfectly reasonable substitute — it reduces the therapeutic concentration a little but still makes for a good, nourishing soup. If after 3–5 doses of this soup there is no improvement in night urination, please see a doctor for a proper assessment.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader, unable to find turtle): What can I substitute if I cannot find shan rui or softshell turtle? Bro Niu: You can use lean pork as a substitute.

• Q (cc): I am 36 and have had to urinate once or twice every night since giving birth seven years ago. Some Chinese medicine practitioners say it is kidney weakness and recommend very expensive herbs like deer antler and cordyceps. Are those really necessary? Bro Niu: You do not need expensive ingredients. Try: ginkgo nuts 10 pieces (de-cored), euryale seeds 1 liang, fu pen zi (Chinese raspberry) 3 qian, jin ying zi (Cherokee rosehip) 3 qian, red dates 6 pieces — simmer with lean pork for 2 hours. Drink the soup and eat the ginkgo and euryale. Three times per week until symptoms improve. It is affordable and effective.

• Q (Dada, does not eat fish): I do not eat fish — what alternatives are there for night urination? Bro Niu: Try the same formula: ginkgo nuts 10 pieces (de-cored), euryale seeds 1 liang, fu pen zi 3 qian, jin ying zi 3 qian, red dates 6 pieces — cook with lean pork or vegetables. Should still help.

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Published June 7, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.