Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

• A fruit that grows on a vine plant common to southern China and northern Thailand
• It is often found dried and used for herbals teas or soups
• It is about the size of a baseball and has a very hard external shell when dried
• The fruit is a dark brown colour with its insides consisting of quadrants and seeds that are the same colour
• Often used for its sweetness and unique flavour
• It is very light and is similar weight to that of a ping pong (with an airy interior)

How do I prepare it?

• Clean the outer fruit with warm running water
• Halve or quarter the fruit – it’s very hard so it’s like you have to break it open
• Rinse the internal fruit with warm running water

Where can I buy this?

• Most wet marts in Hong Kong will sell them at the herbalists
• I have not seen this in supermarkets

What is the cost?

• One fruit costs $4 HKD (less than $1 CAD)

Any benefits?

Extremely efficient in removing phlegm
Used in conjunction with apricot kernals to relieve coughs and moisten the lungs
Often used as a sugar substitute (ideal for diabetics to replace sugar)
A thirst quencher
The fruit contains anti-oxidants, which help in reducing aging of the skin and body and can help in preventing cancer

Any precautions?

• The fruit has a very particular taste, so it takes some time to get used to
• One whole fruit is quite potent, so if you’re uncertain about the flavours, I would suggest using half a fruit for a big pot of soup

References?

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siraitia_grosvenorii