“Du Zhong” Kidney Supplement Tonic Soup with Pig Tail（杜仲猪尾补腰汤)

“Chinese tonic soup that relieves your backache problems. ”

Du Zhong, you pronounce this in Chinese, and in Chinese word, it’s written as 杜仲. This Chinese herb is categorized as a yang supplement that helps in low backaching problem, especially for men. It is also well-known in tonifying the kidney function, strengthening muscle and bones, nourishing liver blood, and many more effects. Some say it is a men’s tonic soup (cheeky smiles). However, don’t get it wrong that only men could drink this soup, it is good for both men and women to drink. Even older children are fine to drink it in moderate.

Taste of this soup is pleasant. Do not be mistaken that good tonic soup must taste bitter and awful. This tonic soup yields subtle taste. Neither too sweet nor bitter, it has this pleasant Chinese herbal flavour.

I cooked this with pig tail which complements the soup pretty well. However, you may try to get those skinned tails as the soup might be oily if cooked with skin. Alternatively, use lean pork meat or prime ribs.

Ingredients
10g – 15g each of the following Chinese herbs:
Du zhong aka Cortex Eucommiae (杜仲)
Ba Ji Tian aka Morinda Root or Radix Morindae Officinalis (巴戟天)
Chinese Yam Root/ Huai Shan aka Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae (淮山）
Wu Dou aka Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc. (乌豆)
Gou Qi Zi orWolfberry aka Fructus Lycii (枸杞子)

300 grams of pig tails, preferably skinned, chopped and blanched
1 teaspoon of salt

1 pot of water, 70% filled (about 1500ml of water)

Method:
Add blanched 300grams of pig tails or meaty pork ribs and Chinese herbs into a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 2 hours or longer, with low heat. Add salt to taste when about to heat off, and stir well. Serve hot.

You may even choose to boil with slow cooker, like I did. I place all ingredients and normal tap water in the croak pot, and adjust heat button to low (or Auto shift). I had it boiled from morning about 8am till right before serving it in our dinner at about 7.30pm.