Soups
Pig Heart and Suanzaoren Soup
Pig Heart and Suanzaoren Soup, also known as Pig Heart and Jujube Seed Soup, is a classic medicinal recipe from the Sichuan Chinese Medicine Journal. Based on the TCM principle of "using organ to supplement organ," this soup combines pig heart with calming herbs like Suanzaoren, Fushen, and Yuanzhi. It is renowned for nourishing blood, calming the heart, and soothing the spirit, making it an excellent dietary therapy for insomnia, palpitations, and restlessness caused by heart-liver blood deficiency.
Main Ingredients
- Pig heart 1 piece
- Stir-fried Suanzaoren (Spiny Date Seed) 15g
- Poria with Hostwood (Fushen) 15g
- Polygala (Yuanzhi) 5-6g
- Fresh ginger 2-3 slices
- Goji berries 5g
- Salt 1-2g
- Cooking wine as needed
- White vinegar a little
Steps
Herbs: Crush the Suanzaoren, rinse with Fushen and Yuanzhi. Herbs can be placed in a cheesecloth bag for easy removal. Pig heart: Cut open lengthwise and remove blood clots. Rinse thoroughly under running water. Cut into approximately 2cm cubes.
Bring water to a boil, add the pig heart pieces with ginger slices and a little cooking wine. Boil for 2-3 minutes, skimming off any foam. Remove and rinse with warm water, then drain.
Place the prepared pig heart, crushed Suanzaoren, Fushen, Yuanzhi, and ginger slices into a clay pot (sand pot) (avoid iron pots). Add enough water to fully cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam. Then reduce to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes to 1.5 hours until the pig heart is tender. Longer simmering results in more tender meat. If using a double-boiler, simmer for 1.5-2 hours.
Add salt to taste before turning off the heat. If using a cheesecloth bag, remove and discard it. Ladle into bowls. Consume the pig heart and drink the soup.
TCM Notes
Pig heart: Sweet and salty in taste, neutral in nature. Known to tonify deficiency, nourish the heart, and calm palpitations. Rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals that benefit heart muscle nutrition. Suanzaoren (Spiny Date Seed) : Sweet and sour in taste, neutral in nature. Known to nourish the heart, calm the mind, stop sweating, and promote fluid production. A key herb for treating insomnia due to deficiency restlessness. Stir-fried Suanzaoren is recommended for better calming effects. Fushen (Poria with Hostwood) : Known to calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Poria (Fuling) can be used as a substitute. Yuanzhi (Polygala) : Known to calm the mind, benefit intelligence, and harmonize the heart and kidneys, promoting better sleep. Together, they achieve the synergistic effects of nourishing blood, calming the heart, and soothing the spirit.
Suitable for：Suitable for those with heart-liver blood deficiency, characterized by: Insomnia, excessive dreaming, and difficulty falling asleep Palpitations and restlessness Memory decline Spontaneous sweating due to deficiency Neurasthenia
Not suitable for：Those with excess heat and fire stagnation: Symptoms include high fever, red face, dry mouth, and constipation – should avoid Those with spermatorrhea or chronic diarrhea – should avoid Those with hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia: Pig heart is high in cholesterol – should avoid or consume with caution Those with hypertension or coronary heart disease – use with caution Those with colds, fever, or diarrhea – should avoid Pregnant women and those with threatened miscarriage – use with caution or avoid
