Common carp — Lo Fo Tong 老火湯

Common carp

鯉魚

strengthens the spleenpromotes water metabolism消腫通乳安胎（民間）

The common carp, a large freshwater fish cooked whole for soup after gutting, descaling and stripping the black belly membrane. Fried with ginger and then simmered, it gives a hearty broth traditionally matched with black-eyed beans and dried tangerine peel. Its folk role is the water-moving soup of late pregnancy.

TCM properties

Nature · neutral　Flavour · sweet　Meridians · spleen、kidney

Traditional food therapy

In Cantonese food therapy carp is used to strengthen the spleen, promote water metabolism and reduce swelling, with folk tradition also giving it to nursing and expectant mothers — the latter after advice.

Cautions — read first

Those with gout should avoid it
Folk tradition uses it for swelling in pregnancy (black-eyed bean, dried tangerine peel and carp soup), but pregnant women should seek advice before drinking it
Fish are traditionally counted as a stirring food (發物), one said to aggravate existing conditions, so use your own judgement during a skin flare

Preparation

Clean and scale the fish and strip the black membrane from the belly cavity, then fry it with ginger until fragrant before boiling.

Origin

全國淡水塘養（黃河鯉歷史上最負盛名） — Not seen in AU online retail (carp is a pest species locally, rarely sold); in-store fishmonger check pending

Availability in Australia

Herbal shops / specialists

Pairs well with

Black-eyed pea White hyacinth bean Aged dried tangerine peel Fresh ginger

Soups that use this ingredient · 1

Black-eyed pea and tangerine peel soup with common carpNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

眉豆陳皮鯉魚湯

strengthens the spleenpromotes water metabolismAll year

百子櫃Common carp· 1, about 300 g or more百子櫃Black-eyed pea· 100 g百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 10 g街市Fresh ginger· 3 slices

“The pot for damp weather.”