Ingredient guide
What goes in the pot
96 ingredients, their nature, and where to buy them.
Fresh
- Apple 蘋果Crisp red apples; keep the skin.Cooling涼1 soup
- Asian pear (snow pear) 雪梨Juicy Asian pear; Ya or Shandong pears are classic.Cooling涼2 soups
- Bighead carp head 大魚頭Ask the fishmonger to halve it.Warming溫1 soup
- Bitter melon 苦瓜Scoop out the pith to tame the bitterness.Cooling寒1 soup
- Carrot 紅蘿蔔Sweetens the broth.Neutral平8 soups
- Chayote 合掌瓜Mild squash; peel and cut in wedges.Warming溫1 soup
- Chicken feet 雞腳Adds body and collagen; trim the nails.Neutral平1 soup
- Cilantro 芫荽For garnish.No nature listed2 soups
- Fresh ginger 生薑Sliced, smashed or juiced.Warming溫14 soups
- Grass carp tail 鯇魚尾Pan-fry it first so the soup turns milky.Warming溫2 soups
- Green radish 青蘿蔔Chinese green-skinned radish; daikon works in a pinch. (CMRO lists radish as cool.)Cooling涼1 soup
- Hairy gourd (fuzzy melon) 節瓜Scrape off the fuzz and slice.Neutral平1 soup
- Kudzu root 粉葛Large fresh starchy root, peeled and chunked.Cooling涼1 soup
- Lean pork 瘦肉Pork shoulder or shank in one piece; it flavors the broth.Neutral平12 soups
- Lotus root 蓮藕Raw it is cold; long cooking makes it warm and starchy.Warming溫1 soup
- Mature coconut 椰子A brown coconut: use the water and the flesh.Neutral平1 soup
- Minced beef 牛肉碎Lean ground beef, chopped finer by hand.Neutral平1 soup
- Mud carp 鯪魚Small bony fish, fried then wrapped in a soup bag.Neutral平1 soup
- Old (yellow) cucumber 老黃瓜A mature golden cucumber; keep the skin and seeds.Cooling涼1 soup
- Onion 洋蔥Yellow onion.Warming溫1 soup
- Papaya 木瓜Use one just ripe, still firm.Neutral平2 soups
- Pork bones 豬骨Neck or spine bones give body and a little richness.Warming微溫9 soups
- Pork shank 豬腱Lean, gelatin-rich and holds together in long boils.Neutral平4 soups
- Pork spare ribs 排骨Meaty ribs cut in short pieces.Warming微溫3 soups
- Pork stomach 豬肚Needs a good scrub with salt and flour before cooking.Warming溫1 soup
- Potato 薯仔Waxy or all-purpose potatoes.Neutral平1 soup
- Scallion 蔥Green onion.Warming溫2 soups
- Silken tofu 豆腐Soft tofu, cut in small cubes.Cooling涼2 soups
- Silkie (black) chicken 竹絲雞Small black-skinned chicken; milder than regular chicken.Neutral平2 soups
- Sweet corn 粟米Fresh ears cut in chunks.Neutral平5 soups
- Sweet potato 番薯Yellow or orange flesh.Neutral平1 soup
- Tomato 番茄Ripe tomatoes give the soup color.Cooling微寒2 soups
- Water chestnuts 馬蹄Fresh ones, peeled. Canned will do.Cooling寒1 soup
- Watercress 西洋菜Cantonese-style watercress has thick stems; wash it well.Cooling涼1 soup
- Whole chicken 雞A small whole chicken, skin and fat trimmed.Warming溫6 soups
- Winter melon 冬瓜Keep the skin on for soup; it is said to clear heat too.Cooling寒2 soups
Dried and pantry
- Apricot kernels (south and north) 南北杏Sweet southern and bitter northern kernels. Bitter ones are mildly toxic raw; keep to about 10.Neutral平 / 微溫5 soups
- Black sesame seeds 黑芝麻Toast before grinding.Neutral平2 soups
- Black soybeans 黑豆Green-centered black soybeans; dry-toast first.Neutral平1 soup
- Black-eyed peas 眉豆Dried; soak an hour.Neutral平1 soup
- Brown slab sugar 片糖Cane sugar in slabs; warmer than rock sugar.Warming溫4 soups
- Candied dates (honey dates) 蜜棗Golden candied jujubes; one or two sweeten a whole pot.Neutral平14 soups
- Canned creamed corn 粟米蓉The base of corn thick soup.Neutral平1 soup
- Chestnuts 栗子Peeled roasted chestnuts save time.Warming溫1 soup
- Coconut milk 椰汁Canned, full fat.Neutral平2 soups
- Cordyceps flower 蟲草花Cultivated orange mushroom; not real cordyceps.Neutral平1 soup
- Dried bean curd sticks (yuba) 腐竹Snap into pieces; it melts into the soup.Neutral平1 soup
- Dried bok choy 菜乾Sun-dried bok choy; soak and rinse well. (Fresh 白菜 is listed cool.)Cooling涼1 soup
- Dried fish maw 花膠Soak overnight, blanch with ginger, then cut.Neutral平2 soups
- Dried kelp 海帶Soak and cut in strips.Cooling寒1 soup
- Dried lily bulb 百合Thin dried petals; soak briefly.Cooling微寒3 soups
- Dried longan flesh 桂圓肉Sticky, sweet and warming; a little goes far.Warming溫1 soup
- Dried octopus 章魚乾Soak, rinse and cut in strips.Neutral平1 soup
- Dried scallops (conpoy) 瑤柱Soak, then shred; keep the soaking liquid.Neutral平3 soups
- Dried shiitake 冬菇Soak until soft; trim the stems.Neutral平4 soups
- Dried shrimp 蝦米Rinse and soak 10 minutes.Warming溫1 soup
- Dried tangerine peel 陳皮Soak, then scrape off the white pith.Warming溫10 soups
- Ginkgo nuts 白果Shelled; remove the bitter germ. Mildly toxic in excess, keep to about 10 per adult.Neutral平1 soup
- Glutinous rice flour 糯米粉For tangyuan dough. (Glutinous rice is warm.)Warming溫1 soup
- Goji berries 杞子Add in the last 15 minutes so they stay plump.Neutral平10 soups
- Job’s tears (coix seed) 薏米Raw is cooling and draining; dry-toasted is neutral.Cooling微寒3 soups
- Lotus seeds 蓮子Remove any green germ; it is bitter.Neutral平4 soups
- Mung beans 綠豆Whole green mung beans.Cooling寒1 soup
- Raw peanuts (red skin) 花生Raw, skin-on peanuts; soak first.Neutral平3 soups
- Red (adzuki) beans 紅豆For sweet soup; soak overnight.Neutral平1 soup
- Red dates (jujubes) 紅棗Pit them so the soup does not turn heaty.Neutral平19 soups
- Rice beans (chixiaodou) 赤小豆Slimmer than adzuki and used for draining damp.Neutral平2 soups
- Rock sugar 冰糖Clean sweetness for sweet soups.Neutral平8 soups
- Small sago pearls 西米Tiny pearls; boil until clear.No nature listed1 soup
- Snow fungus (white fungus) 雪耳Soak until soft, then trim the hard yellow base.Neutral平3 soups
- Soybeans 黃豆Dried yellow soybeans; soak overnight.Neutral平1 soup
- Sweet apricot kernels 南杏The sweet kind used for almond tea.Neutral平1 soup
- Walnuts 合桃Shelled halves, toasted.Warming溫1 soup
- White peppercorns 白胡椒粒Whole, lightly crushed.Warming熱1 soup
Chinese herbs
- Abrus herb (jigucao) 雞骨草Remove every seed pod; the seeds are toxic.Cooling涼1 soup
- American ginseng 花旗參Cooler cousin of Asian ginseng; sliced.Cooling涼1 soup
- Astragalus root (huangqi) 黃芪Flat yellow slices; qi tonic.Warming微溫1 soup
- Codonopsis root (dangshen) 黨參Gentle, sweet qi tonic.Neutral平1 soup
- Dong quai (angelica root) 當歸Strong flavor; one or two slices is plenty.Warming溫1 soup
- Dried Chinese yam 淮山Chalky white slices; very mild.Neutral平5 soups
- Dried lotus leaf 荷葉Tear a quarter leaf into the pot.Neutral平1 soup
- Dried night-blooming cereus flower 霸王花Dried dragon-fruit-cactus flowers; soak and cut.Cooling微寒1 soup
- Fox nut (euryale seed) 芡實Small round seeds; soak an hour.Neutral平1 soup
- Fritillaria bulb (chuanbei) 川貝Tiny bulbs; crush or grind before using.Cooling微寒1 soup
- Gastrodia tuber (tianma) 天麻Sliced; traditional for headaches and dizziness.Neutral平1 soup
- Ginseng root 人參Asian (Panax) ginseng, sliced. Strongly tonifying.Warming微溫1 soup
- Glehnia root (shashen) 沙參Pale thin sticks that moisten the lungs.Cooling微寒1 soup
- Hairy fig root (wuzhimaotao) 五指毛桃Coconut-scented root; buy only from trusted sellers.Neutral平 / 微溫1 soup
- Self-heal spike (prunella) 夏枯草Dried purple spikes; bitter and cold.Cooling寒1 soup
- Sichuan lovage (chuanxiong) 川芎Aromatic slices; use sparingly.Warming溫1 soup
- Smilax root (tufuling) 土茯苓Hard brown slices for damp.Neutral平1 soup
- Solomon’s seal (yuzhu) 玉竹Sweet, chewy slices; moistening.Neutral平2 soups
- White hyacinth beans 白扁豆Flat white beans used for damp and digestion.Warming微溫1 soup
Staples
- Cornstarch 粟粉For thickening thick soups (羹).No nature listed2 soups
- Eggs 雞蛋Yolk is neutral, white is cool.Neutral平4 soups
- Rice 白米A spoonful thickens sweet soups.Warming溫3 soups