Shan Yào with Spare Ribs Soup

I do not know about raw shan yào or huái shan until my mom showed it to me one day last year. In fact I've never even heard that there are raw ones being sold here. According to my mom, shan yao is quite popular among the Japanese.

We normally use the dried ones which we categorized it as herbs. I've used the dried ones to boil soup before. However, the raw ones taste even better as it is so much sweeter than the dried ones. The roots actually taste very yam like and it's soft after the long hours under the fire. I was told to add in the shan yao last into the soup so the nutrient will not be lost over the intense heat... not sure how true but I still prefer to boil it for a longer period.

The one I bought was from China hence it is so much cheaper. If I were to get the one that imported from Japan it will cost me a bomb for a small stick. One thing to be aware of is to not touch the raw roots with your bare hands as the gluey and slimmy thing will cause your skin to itch. So, when you are handling these raw roots, remember to put on your gloves.

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Ingredients

• 300g Spare ribs


• 1 stick Shan Yao root


• 10pcs Red dates


• 2.5 L Water


• Salt to taste

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Raw Shan Yao roots

Methods

1. Sliced off the skin and wash thoroughly before slicing diagonally around 8mm thick. Be sure not to hold with your bare hands as the sticky slimy stuff could cause itch.


2. Boil water in a pot till boil. Throw in the spare ribs and let it boil for 5 minutes.


3. Add in the sliced shan yao and red dates and boil on low heat for 2 hours . Add salt to taste before serving.

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