Soups
Mulberry Twig Chicken Soup
Mulberry Twig Chicken Soup, also known as Lao Sangzhi Stewed Chicken Soup, is a traditional Cantonese medicinal soup. It features Lao Sangzhi (dried mulberry twigs) for dispelling wind-dampness and unblocking meridians, paired with old hen for warming and tonifying deficiency. The soup is rich and flavorful, with tender chicken and a savory taste with a slight bitterness. It is renowned for benefiting essence and marrow, dispelling wind-dampness, and benefiting the joints. It is especially suitable for rheumatic pain, frozen shoulder, and cervical spondylosis related to meridian obstruction and qi-blood deficiency.
Main Ingredients
- Dried mulberry twig (Lao Sangzhi) 60g
- Hen (or old hen) 1 piece
- Fresh ginger 3 slices
- Salt to taste
- Water 2500ml
Steps
Slaughter and clean the hen, remove feathers and internal organs. Rinse the Lao Sangzhi and soak briefly. Slice the ginger. For a clearer soup, place the chicken pieces in cold water, bring to a boil, skim off foam, and rinse.
Place the whole chicken (or pieces), Lao Sangzhi, and ginger slices into a clay pot (sand pot) . Add approximately 2500ml of water (about 10 bowls). Add all water at once. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 2 hours until the chicken is tender and falls off the bone.
Add salt to taste. Serve: Drink the soup and eat the chicken. The chicken can be served with soy sauce as a side dish.
TCM Notes
Lao Sangzhi (Dried Mulberry Twig) : Slightly bitter in taste, neutral in nature, acts on the Liver meridian. Known to dispel wind-dampness and benefit the joints, commonly used for rheumatic pain, shoulder and arm soreness, and joint pain with numbness. It excels at treating the upper limbs, unblocking meridians, and resolving blood stasis to "open up" the neck area. Hen (Old Hen) : Warm in nature, sweet in taste, acts on the Spleen, Stomach, and Liver meridians. Known to warm the middle, supplement qi, and nourish essence and marrow. The old hen tonifies qi and blood, providing the driving force for the meridian-unblocking effect of Sangzhi. Together, they achieve the synergistic effects of dispelling wind-dampness, unblocking meridians, supplementing qi and blood, and benefiting essence and marrow.
Suitable for：Those with rheumatoid arthritis or frozen shoulder: Especially suitable for the chronic stage with weak constitution and wind-dampness obstruction Those with cervical spondylosis: Especially suitable for nerve root type cervical spondylosis, with symptoms including neck stiffness, shoulder and back pain, upper limb numbness, and dizziness Those with limb numbness, joint stiffness, or chronic lumbar strain Those with prolonged desk work or neck and shoulder fatigue Middle-aged and elderly individuals as a daily conditioning soup for rheumatic bone pain
Not suitable for：Pregnant women – Sangzhi promotes blood circulation and unblocks meridians; should be avoided Menstruating women – Should consult a doctor before consuming Those with Damp-Heat constitution – Not recommended for long-term consumption Those with Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold – Use with caution Those with Yin deficiency with Fire excess – Long-term excessive consumption may cause internal heat Those allergic to mulberry twigs or chicken – Should avoid
