Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup

Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup

　　Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup

　　“Why do poets sing of the Three Rivers? For ancient legends abound in these waters so deep. A local man Chen Feng raised a fair maiden, who became the bride of Emperor Ku, also called Di Ku. One day, the fair Qingdu bathed in the Three Rivers, where a passing dragon stirred love’s tide. After their passionate union, the dragon bestowed its seed, and from this came Emperor Yao, bringing joy far and wide.” This “Bamboo Branch Ci” poem tells the love story of the fair maiden Qingdu.

　　It is said that Yao’s parents fell in love by the lower reaches of Axixi Creek in the “Hometown of Emperor Yao”. In the throes of passion, they unexpectedly conceived a divine child. When Yao was born, red light shone around his home, auspicious clouds filled the sky, dragons soared, and purple energy drifted in from the east—truly the aura of an emperor. At birth, Yao bore the visage of royalty: a broad, noble forehead, a square and open face, a constant smile, and the astonishing ability to call for his parents right after leaving his mother’s womb. He grew rapidly upon exposure to the wind, soon transforming from a newborn into a toddler, amazing all the villagers and becoming the stuff of legend.

　　After giving birth to Yao, Empress Yao became extremely weak and suffered from insufficient breast milk. Little Yao would often cry from hunger. His maternal grandmother tried everything she could, but nothing worked. In her desperation, Empress Yao completely dried up and fell ill to her bed. Yao cried out in hunger, in desperate need of nourishment. Just when the family had run out of ideas, a wandering doctor happened to pass by. After learning of their plight, he quickly wrote a prescription and gave some instructions before departing on a cloud. Later, people discovered that this doctor had been sent by the Goddess Nüwa herself, carrying a “heavenly remedy”. Following the recipe, Yao’s grandmother caught a wild chicken, dug up ginseng and Chinese yam, and gathered wild jujubes, goji berries, black fungus, and mushrooms. After slaughtering the chicken, she combined all these ingredients with the chicken in a pot to make a soup. When the soup was done, she found there was too much, so she added a few leftover buckwheat pancakes to the pot. Once fully cooked, she brought the soup to Empress Yao’s bedside and urged her to eat it while hot. The aroma was rich and inviting, filling the room with fragrance and instantly whetting Empress Yao’s appetite. She quickly ate up the soup and all the ingredients. Soon after, her complexion turned rosy, her vitality returned, and she broke into a sweat of recovery. Not only did she regain her health, but her breasts also became full, providing Yao with ample milk so he could eat his fill and grow strong and healthy. Within three months, Yao had grown into a tall, burly young man, strong as a tiger and powerful as a bear. He possessed extraordinary strength and martial prowess, mastering skills like hitting targets a hundred paces away and subduing dragons and tigers. These abilities laid a solid foundation for his future achievements and eventual ascension as emperor. Later, the kind and virtuous Empress Yao passed down this miraculous “heavenly remedy” to all mothers raising children, and it became known as “Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup”. Over time, through centuries of inheritance and development, it evolved from a postpartum tonic for women into a beloved dish shared by all, eventually earning a place in history as a famous dish in Huaiyang cuisine. After being further refined, restored, and innovated, it gained even greater appeal as a culinary treasure. It has been featured at the “Huai’an Food Festival” and the “First Jinhu Three Lakes Food Festival”, winning multiple gold and silver awards.

　　Among the renowned dishes of the Jianghuai region, Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup holds a distinguished place, favored by food connoisseurs for its perfect harmony between the ingredients and the broth. The preparation of Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup involves meticulous ingredient selection, strict procedures, and complex cooking techniques that leave no room for error—each step must be carefully managed. First, a locally raised, free-range chicken must be chosen; substituting with a commercially bred broiler chicken will greatly diminish the flavor, as authenticity is key. Ideally, a two-year-old chicken is used—one-year-olds have bones that are too soft, while three-year-olds have bones that are too hard. The chicken should weigh around three pounds; if too lean, the soup will be bland and thin, but if too fatty, it will be overly rich and greasy. Therefore, a chicken of moderate fat content is best. Additional ingredients include ginseng rootlets, Chinese yam, red dates, goji berries, black fungus, and shiitake mushrooms, along with ginger, refined salt, and MSG as seasonings. After slaughtering the chicken, it is bled, plucked, gutted, and excess fat is removed, with a small amount retained. All blood residue is washed away, then the whole chicken and seasonings are placed in an earthenware pot to simmer slowly over a wood fire. After two hours, the ginseng rootlets, Chinese yam, red dates, and goji berries are added one by one, and the soup simmers for another hour over low heat. At this point, Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup is ready. Served in the same earthenware pot, it emerges steaming hot with an intoxicating aroma, a rich golden color, and a deeply satisfying taste. Paired with the buckwheat pancakes, it offers a truly delightful feast that lingers on the palate and earns endless praise. Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup is especially enjoyable in the autumn and winter seasons, making it a top choice for nourishing both yin and yang.