All soups › Nourishing tonics
American ginseng, dendrobium and conch soup
花旗參石斛螺頭湯
“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”
Ingredientsone pot, serves 4
Method
- Soak the 螺頭 (sea whelk) until soft, or thaw it if frozen, then blanch it (汆水, a quick boil to clean it)
- Cut the lean pork into pieces and blanch
- Wash the 花旗參 (American ginseng), 石斛 (dendrobium), 玉竹 (Solomon’s seal root) and 紅棗 (red dates)
- Put everything in with 2.5 litres of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat
- Turn the heat low, simmer for 2.5 hours and season with salt
Who it suits
- people keeping late nights
- smokers and drinkers
- rising deficient heat (虛火上炎)
Who should take care
- people with yang deficiency who feel the cold, or who have loose stools, should take care with 花旗參
- 花旗參 is not suitable during a cold
- gout sufferers take care with long-boiled 螺頭 soups
- not suitable after childbirth or during a period (螺頭)
Soup stories
A 涼補 or cooling-tonic soup for the late-night crowd, and popular in summer too.
From the same family
Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.