Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

Ingredient Name: Figwort Root, Radix Scrophulariae (Chinese scientific name)

Traditional Chinese Name: 玄參 (xuán shēn)

• The dried root of a flower plant of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae)
• There are a variety of figwort plants and are often named by their location (ie: The one pictured above is from Zhejiang)
• There are uses for both the figwort plant leaves and roots
• The root is extracted at the end of the season (winter) and dried for usage
  
• Considered a mildly cooling Chinese herb

How do I prepare it?

• Rinse in warm water before usage to ensure all dirt and soil is removed

Where can I buy this?

Most herbal shops will carry this
Wet marts in Hong Kong will also sometimes carry this

What is the cost?

• Extremely affordable
• 5 g cost around $5 HKD (as pictured above)

Any benefits?

• Excellent for reducing heatiness in the body and clearing toxins
• Ideal for soup and drink compositions that remove fire from the body
• Great for healing the throat and lungs and provides benefits to these bodily functions (ie: sore throats, coughing)
• Nourishes the Yin

Any precautions?

• As it is mild cooling, pregnant women in their first trimester should take caution as cooling ingredients can cause contractions
• Has a distinct pungent smell

Resources

• http://www.asante-academy.com/ke-explains/medicinesa-z/ningpofigwort.htm