Monk fruit — Lo Fo Tong 老火湯

Monk fruit

羅漢果

clears heatmoistens the lungseases the bowels利咽開音潤腸通便甜苷不升血糖，教師歌手常用護嗓

The round dried fruit of a Guangxi gourd vine, sold whole in its brittle papery shell. Crushed shell and all into the pot, it steeps out an intense sweetness from mogrosides rather than sugar, turning the broth dark amber; one fruit sweetens a large pot.

TCM properties

Nature · cooling　Flavour · sweet　Meridians · lung、large intestine

Traditional food therapy

Cantonese tradition brews it for the voice and the dry season, crediting it with clearing heat, moistening the lungs and throat and smoothing the bowels; a standby of teachers and singers, sweet without sugar.

Cautions — read first

Take care with a cold cough, or a cold weak spleen and stomach with loose stools. It suits a hot or dry cough only, and with a cold cough it makes things worse.
Cooling in nature, so not in large amounts over a long stretch

Preparation

Wash it, crush it, and boil it shell and all.

Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source

廣西桂林（永福、臨桂）

Availability in Australia

Common at Asian grocers · A$1.53–1.53 / each
Henghui monk fruit 3 pc $4.59 — bonus observation, normalised from the raw listing

Pairs well with

Watercress Dried cured duck gizzard Selfheal / prunella spike Asian pear / snow pear Snakehead fish

Soups that use this ingredient · 3

Dried bok choy soup with apricot kernels and pork bonesNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

白菜乾南北杏蜜棗豬骨湯(菜乾湯)

moistens the lungsrelieves drynesscools internal fireAutumnWinter

街市Dried bok choy / white cabbage· 75 g (2 taels)百子櫃Sweet apricot kernel· 40 g (1 tael) of 南杏 sweet and 北杏 bitter apricot kernels combined百子櫃Bitter apricot kernel· 40 g (1 tael) of 南杏 sweet and 北杏 bitter apricot kernels combined百子櫃Candied honey date· 3街市Pork bones (femur / blade)· 600 g (1 catty)百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 1 piece… +2

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Watercress soup with apricot kernels, honey dates and lean porkA$22–35

西洋菜南北杏蜜棗瘦肉湯

clears heatmoistens the lungssoothes coughAutumnWinter

街市Watercress· 600 g (1 catty)百子櫃Sweet apricot kernel· 20 g百子櫃Bitter apricot kernel· 12 g百子櫃Candied honey date· 3百子櫃Monk fruit· a quarter街市Lean pork· 600 g (1 catty)… +1

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Sauropus (dragon's tongue) leaf and monk fruit soup with lean porkNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

龍脷葉羅漢果瘦肉湯

moistens the lungssoothes coughresolves phlegmAutumn

百子櫃Dragon's tongue leaf· 20 g百子櫃Monk fruit· a third百子櫃Sweet apricot kernel· 40 g (1 tael) of 南杏 and 北杏 combined百子櫃Bitter apricot kernel· 40 g (1 tael) of 南杏 and 北杏 combined百子櫃Candied honey date· 2街市Lean pork· 300 g

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”