Overlord Soup

Overlord Soup

　　The history of soup drinking in China stretches back a long way. As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, there was a folk custom that “when guests arrive, serve dishes; when they prepare to leave, offer soup.”

　　　　The “Three-Ingredient Soup” is called “Overlord Soup.” Legend has it that during the late Qing Dynasty, when the statesman Zeng Guofan was forming the “Xiang Army” in Hunan, the soldiers, living long-term in the wild and around lakes, increasingly suffered from rheumatism, which caused morale to decline. In response, Zeng Guofan hired a renowned chef with a large sum of money to carefully create a “Three-Ingredient Soup” designed to treat rheumatism, serving it as a side dish for the soldiers. Zeng Guofan even bestowed the name “Overlord Soup” upon this dish. Since then, the “Three-Ingredient Soup” has been widely spread among the local people. According to locals, the “Three-Ingredient Soup” not only enhances appetite and aids digestion but also has therapeutic effects such as dispelling rheumatism and strengthening muscles and bones.

　　　　The preparation of “Three-Ingredient Soup” involves carefully selected ingredients and strict cooking methods. It requires the blood of a female yellow ox, the meat of a male yellow ox, and the stomach of a female yellow ox. When cooking, the heat must be carefully controlled—the ox stomach should be tender enough to pierce with a chopstick. When the soup is nearly done, a local specialty—mountain pepper oil—is added. This gives the “Three-Ingredient Soup” its signature spicy and aromatic flavor, along with its health-promoting benefits.