Turtle and Snake Tonifying Soup

Turtle and Snake Tonifying Soup

　　A distinctive soup from Hainan. Turtles and snakes have long been regarded by the Chinese as longevity-enhancing tonics, widely used in cuisine across the country. Hainan’s geography and climate are ideal for the breeding of turtles and snakes, resulting in an abundant local supply. The consumption of these ingredients has a long history. This soup is one of the more common varieties made with them (excluding wild turtles and snakes protected by national law).

　　Ingredients:

　　1 mountain turtle (about 2 kg), 1 python-like snake (about 750 g), 100 g lean pork, 10 g astragalus root, 10 g codonopsis root, 1.2 kg premium stock, 3 slices ginger, 3 spring onions, appropriate amounts of MSG, salt, and rice wine.

　　Preparation:

　　1. Remove the heads of the mountain turtle and snake separately, gut them, clean thoroughly, and chop them—shell and skin included—into chunks. Wash the lean pork and cut into small cubes. Blanch all three ingredients together, then drain in a colander.

　　2. Heat a wok over high heat, add oil, sauté the ginger slices and spring onions until fragrant. Add the turtle, snake, and pork, splash with ginger juice and rice wine, stir-fry well. Pour in enough stock to just cover the ingredients. Discard the ginger and spring onions, then add MSG, salt, astragalus root, and codonopsis root. Bring to a boil, then transfer to a ceramic stewing pot. Steam in a steamer for about 2 hours, then remove.

　　3. Remove all residue from the stewing pot, skim off any foam from the surface of the soup, and transfer the stewed ingredients to a clean stewing pot. Cover with parchment paper and steam for another 30 minutes in the steamer before serving.

　　Features:

　　Turtle is a prized tonic ingredient. This stewing method allows the flavors to fully penetrate the ingredients, making them easy for the body to absorb. With sufficient cooking time, the aroma is rich, the turtle and snake meat tender yet firm, the broth clear and pale yellow, and the taste deliciously savory.