Winter is considered the optimal season for supplementing and accumulating energy, namely Qi, Blood, and Jing. This ensures that the body has a sufficient supply for the upcoming year. In Chinese cuisine, soup is paramount, seamlessly integrating herbal medicine with everyday foods.
Today, I shall share my recipe for Pork Trotter Soup.
Ingredients of Pork Trotter Soup
Pork Trotter 500g
Yam 30g
Lima Been 20g
Seaweed 20g
Aged Tangerine Peel 10g
fresh Ginger 15g
Sichuan Pepper 3g
How to cook Pork Trotter Soup
Start by thoroughly washing all the ingredients. Then, cleanse the pork trotter to remove any residual blood. Place the cleaned trotter into a large pot and pour in 2 liters of water. Stew this mixture for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, ensuring that the pork trotter is cooked until it's completely tender.
Action in TCM
The recipe strengthens the spleen and stomach, supplement Qi, blood, and Jing, and remove dampness and phlegm.
1. Pork Trotter 猪蹄
Property: sweet, salty, neutral
Function: supplements Qi and blood, nourish skin, promote lactation
2. Yam 山药
Property: sweet, neutral
Function: supplement Qi and Yin of the lungs, spleen, and kidneys
3. Lima Been 芸豆
Property: sweet, neutral
Function: warm the middle Jiao, benefit the stomach and intestines, supplement kidney Qi, and arrest rebellious Qi.
4. Seaweed 海带 or 昆布
Property: salty and cold
Function: soften hardness, resolve nodules, remove damp, and arrest itching
5. Aged Tangerine Peel 陈皮
Property: pungent, bitter, and warm
Function: regulate Qi, harmonize the middle Jiao, dry damp and remove phlegm
6. Fresh Ginger 生姜
Property: spicy and warm
Function: promote sweating, expel external pathogens, stop vomiting, help digestion, and clean toxins
7. Sichuan Pepper 花椒
Property: spicy and warm
Function: invigorate the spleen and stomach, remove dampness, stop the pain, kill parasites, and arrest itching.
Caution: If you are not sure if this soup is good for you, please contact a TCM practitioner in advance.