Sishen Tang (四神湯 (Sì shén tāng))
Overview
Sishen tang, four gods soup, is a Taiwanese herbal soup made with pork. Pork small intestines, cleaned carefully, or pork stomach or ribs are simmered for a long time with four traditional ingredients: dried Chinese yam, lotus seeds, foxnut and poria, a medicinal mushroom. In Taiwan, Job's tears are often added or used in place of some of the herbs, giving the soup a soft, chewy texture. The broth is mild, slightly milky and gently earthy. Many cooks add a splash of rice wine just before serving to lift the aroma. It is eaten as a light meal or snack.
History
Sishen tang is a famous Taiwanese street food. One explanation says its original name was four ministers soup, because the four herbs work together like ministers, and that in Taiwanese Hokkien the word for ministers sounds like the word for gods. The name four gods soup is recorded in a Taiwanese dictionary of the Japanese colonial era. Stall versions often use mostly Job's tears to soften the medicinal taste.
Main ingredients
Pork intestines, chinese yam, lotus seeds, foxnut, poria, job's tears. The soup is built on herbal pork broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · More soups from Taiwan
Recipe
Method
- 15 min
Blanch the intestines or ribs in boiling water for 5 minutes and rinse.
- 2
Put them in a pot with the herbs, Job's tears, ginger and 2.5 l water and bring to the boil.
- 31 h 30 min
Simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until everything is tender.
- 4
Cut the intestines into short pieces and season with salt.
- 5
Serve hot with a splash of rice wine.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 30m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
