Guiding Department Jiangmen Wuyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital’s Classical TCM Department is the first established classical TCM department in a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province. It utilizes TCM’s leading concepts and methods to diagnose and treat internal diseases, critical conditions, and difficult diseases, serving as a model department for TCM specialties.
【Weekend Nourishing Soup】 “In Guangdong, no meal is complete without soup; no banquet is complete without soup.” Regardless of the season, various functional soups are indispensable. According to TCM, health maintenance varies with the seasons: “Spring nourishes the liver, dispels dampness and fatigue; summer nourishes the heart, clears heat and cools; autumn nourishes the lungs, moistens dryness; winter nourishes the kidneys, consolidates the foundation and cultivates the essence.”
Guangdong soup, like Guangdong culture, permeates our TCM dietary culture, reflecting a comprehensive embodiment in Lingnan culture. It plays a significant role in disease prevention, treatment, and health maintenance.
Case Study
With the winter vacation approaching, 48-year-old Teacher Li experienced fatigue, insomnia, palpitations, dizziness, cough, dry mouth, and bitter taste after a busy semester. To alleviate these discomforts, he was hospitalized in the Classical TCM Department. The TCM physicians, considering Teacher Li’s specific situation, used the Six Meridians Diagnostic Method to prescribe a Chinese herbal formula, combined with external TCM treatments such as moxibustion, acupuncture, guasha, foot baths, and acupressure. The next day, many of the patient’s discomforts were significantly alleviated, and after three more days of treatment, Teacher Li was discharged in good health.
Recommended Seasonal Soup
In winter, the climate is cold, with Yin prevailing and Yang declining. People’s bodies are affected by the cold temperatures, leading to changes in physiological functions and appetite, resulting in decreased resistance to illness, especially concerning parents of weak children. Therefore, it is essential to adjust the diet reasonably and ensure adequate nutrition to enhance people’s cold resistance and immune function, allowing them to safely and smoothly pass through winter.
Ingredients
Deer Antler Mushroom (Lü Róng Gū) 100g
Pork Ribs (Pái Gǔ) 500g
Peanuts (Huā Shēng) 50g
Dried Tangerine Peel (Chén Pí) 3 slices
Corn (Yù Mǐ) 1 ear
Ginger (Shēng Jiāng) 3 slices
(Serves 3 to 5 people)
Effects:
Deer Antler Mushroom (Lü Róng Gū) is warm in nature and enters the Kidney meridian, assisting the kidneys in storing essence. It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and yang, nourishing essence and blood, replenishing Qi, and strengthening the foundation. Dried Tangerine Peel (Chén Pí) is bitter and pungent, warm in nature, and has the effects of regulating Qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm. Pork Ribs (Pái Gǔ) nourish Yin and strengthen Yang, benefiting essence and blood. Peanuts (Huā Shēng) strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote kidney function, and regulate Qi and lactation. Corn (Yù Mǐ) strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes Qi and blood, promotes diuresis, and alleviates thirst.
Suitable for:
The Deer Antler Mushroom, Dried Tangerine Peel, Peanut, and Pork Rib Soup is a medicinal soup that harmonizes Yin and Yang, nourishes Yin and supplements Yang, strengthens the kidneys and spleen, and replenishes Qi and blood. It is particularly suitable for symptoms of Yin-Yang imbalance after recovery from illness, and is suitable for all ages.
Expert Commentary:
Pork ribs have the effects of nourishing Yin and strengthening Yang, benefiting essence and blood. They are effective for conditions such as heat disease injuring fluids, thirst, weakness, postpartum blood deficiency, dry cough, and constipation. They can replenish deficiency, nourish Yin, moisten dryness, nourish the liver and kidneys, benefit the skin, promote urination, and alleviate thirst. Pork ribs can be used in dietary therapy to replenish Qi and regulate the body’s insufficient middle Qi, while also strengthening the spleen and stomach, strengthening bones and muscles, and enhancing immunity, providing rich calcium for the elderly and children due to their high content of calcium phosphate, collagen, and bone glycoprotein.
Tips:
Deer Antler Mushroom (Lü Róng Gū) is a very delicious edible fungus, scientifically known as Coral Fungus, and is loved by many. There are many ways to prepare Deer Antler Mushroom; it can be stir-fried, used in soups, or stir-fried with green peppers and shredded meat. People love Deer Antler Mushroom not only for its versatility and good taste but also for its numerous medicinal benefits.
Preparation Method
-
Clean the pork ribs, cut into large pieces, and blanch them; soak the dried tangerine peel.
-
Place all main ingredients into a clay pot, adding 2500 ml of water (about 10 bowls).
-
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add an appropriate amount of salt to taste before serving.
Source:Jiangmen Wuyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital
