Thursday, April 29, 2010

Lab Bi (Six Aroma/Flavours, Lok Mei) Soup Recipe – Chinese Traditional Soup to Whet the Appetite

Types of herbs used (clockwise from top middle) : Longan fruit, polygonatum root, Dioscorea Yam, lily bulbs, fox nut and Lotus seeds (halved, with brown skins) You can find pre packed Lab Bi (six aroma/flavours, Lok Mei) herbal combination in most Chinese Medicine Hall. This is a very popular soup among the Chinese and it is known to be able to whet the appetite. As a foodie, I need a lot of this soup so that I can continue eating nonstop, ha ha ha!
The sweet and neutral Fox Nut (Brown and white) is good for our kidneys, spleen and appetite. Fox Nut is the fruit of a type of waterweeds that grows in lakes and swamps. The other herbs that are found in Lab Bi are Polygonatum Root (Yuzhu, Polygonatum odoratum, for wind and prevent internal dryness), Longan Fruit (Yanrou, Euphoria Longan, nourishes the blood and spleen), Lily Bulbs (Baihe, Lilium Brownni, stops cough, removes heatiness and settle the mind), Dioscorea Yam (Huaishan, Dioscorea opposita, Strenthen Digestive system, increase Qi, good for lungs and kidneys). The Lotus seeds (Lianzi, Nelumbo nucifera) that are used in this herbal combination are with the brown skins intact. The ones that are used for Tong Sui would have this brown skin removed. Lotus seeds nourish the kidney and spleen.
I normally buy these herbs separately and mix them whenever I want to cook this soup.

Ingredients
Fox nut, 2 table spoons
Polygonatum Root, 10 pcs
Longan Fruit, 10 pcs
Lily Bulbs, 10 pcs
Dioscorea Yam, 4 pcs
Lotus Seeds, 20 half seeds
Chicken Carcass, Bones or Pork Ribs, 300 gms
Water, 6 bowls Salt to taste

Put water in pot and bring to a boil. Add in all the ingredients and boil in slow heat for around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.

PS : This is a savoury version which you eat with rice. Some people would omit the bones and salt. They would put in sugar to make it into a dessert.

30 comments:

Merryn said...

wah.. u chinese witch :D i no nuts bout chinese herbs.. but i'm slowly learning from YOU :D

Suhaina said...

Pete, very informative post. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe.

Pete said...

Merryn : Ha ha, I am Chinese Witch Doctor, all penyakit also can cure wan...ha ha ha!

Suhaina : Good for kids if they do not have appetite to eat.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy this dessert. The only thing I don't like eating is lotus seeds.

petite nyonya said...

i can smell all the herbs already! i like herbal soups...but sadly i don't seem to cook it often enough.

MaryMoh said...

Mmm...more Chinese soup....my favourite.

penny aka jeroxie said...

I just get the pre-packed ones from Asia and bring it back here. But recently ran out! time to head back soon.

manglish said...

heaty or not har? hahahaha

[SK] said...

aww, so this is the salty version of Lok Mei.. never had it before, i only have the normal sweet version, which i like very much.. especially the dark brown color thing all over the soup, what do you call that ah??

Love2cook Malaysia said...

Hi Pete, interesting infos on herbs! Pandai la U! hehehe ;)

smallkucing said...

I love Lok Mei Soup. When I was young, i used to pick the longan and eat kakaka

suituapui said...

Dunno all these herbs. I know only a few...mostly for revitalising.

fufu said...

yeah i just had this soup last sunday :) yumyum

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

simple and nice!

Alice Law said...

You remind me of my late dad, he loves this soup a lot....T-T

It has been a long long time I didn't have this already, my mom seems doesn't keen to cook it after my dad passed away...sigh~!

Have a nice day!

இ Baŋäŋaz இ said...

Sure Labu dan Labi got nothing to do with the name here? hehe. Boleh tambah jadi lapan bi haha..~;) tQ.

wenn said...

what a coincidence, I boiled this soup this morning n served with rice. Usually i would boil as dessert.

Pete said...

Mei Teng : Lotus Seeds a little hard some times

Petite Nyonya : Good to have them once a while.....ladies can become younger leh...he he he

Mary Moh : I love soup too!

Penny : Can get from Chinatown there?

Manglish : Quite mild soup, not heaty at all

SK : Dark Brown? Is it pong tai hai? (kembang semangkuk)

Love2cook : I become Raja Jamu aledy! ha ha ha

smallkucing: I still like to eat the longan...LOL!

STP : Lok mei quite common....can get prepacked combination from all Chinese Med Halls

Fufu : Can also get in Germany?


Sonia : agree!

Alice : Sorry to hear that, but it is a nice soup. You have a nice day too.

Bananaz : ha ha ha P.Ramlee, Labu and Labi.....tambah labu and labi dunno become what soup...LOL!

Wenn : Ha ha it is certainly a coincidence....LOL!

Christine said...

Pete thanks for the break down of the ingredients, very helpful. I don't need anything to whet my appetite, but I do love soup!

Mummy Gwen said...

I think my mum cooked this soup before..hehe..wah the ingredients sound so foreign to me.

Unknown said...

I am a 'soup lady'! So the folks in my house get to eat them often enough. This is one I like too. Thanks.

Somewhere in Singapore said...

Next time i want to cook anything that i don't know, can ask u, hehe...

mNhL said...

ohh...i love the sweet and salty type.

PFx said...

Wow Pete, you are just pumping out recipes after recipes that I truly were curious about. It's like answered prayers after another.

Ayie said...

i am completely a stranger to this soup pete

Cheah said...

Hey, I made a sweeet version of this, will post later.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

add some gingko and you have seven heavens soup. LOL

I am lazy I don't spend hours brewing soup for my family.

mommy to chumsy said...

oh..i've bought this before to boil soup for my daughter. very tasty soup but she still eats the same...not more :(

Unknown said...

Hi Pete. Thanks for the Lak Bi Soup sharing.
I’m wondering may I replace the pork with chicken? Generally, many market’s auntie and mummies said brewing soup shall use pork instead of chicken. Pls advice Pete Sifu 🤝

Pete said...

Hi Lucy, yes you can replace pork with chicken