Pork Heart Soup with Dried Longan Fruits

Purpose:

To improve the spleen and enhance appetite.  To nourish blood and supplement the heart.     

Material:

Pork heart （猪心）                                        1 (about 300 g)
Dried longan fruits （龙眼干）                       40 g 
Ginger （姜）                                                  10 g 
Salt                                                                some
          

Note:

Pork heart and dried longan fruits are available from Chinese grocery stores.  Longan fruits grow only in tropical or subtropical climates - southern China or south eastern Asia.  Freeze-dried longan fruits have a lighter color than sun-dried or oven-dried.  Pork heart is considered as neutral and sweet, and has a calming and sedating effect.  

Procedure:

a.   Cut open the pork heart and remove fatty tissues.  Rinse clean.  Cut the pork heart into about 1 inch pieces.  Rinse clean dried longan fruits.  Skin and cut ginger into thin slices.

b.   Put the pork heart into a pot.  Add about 4 cups of water and bring to boil with high heat.  Remove foam and scum.  Add dried longan fruits and ginger.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer for 2 hours.    

c.   Add some salt to taste.  Ready to serve. 

        

Comment:

This is a soup with an amber color and a sweet  taste.  It is easy to imagine that pork heart muscles are somewhat tough since the heart serves as a pump to push blood circulation.  After cooking, the meat is slightly chewy, but already quite manageable and has a special good taste.  Cooked longan fruits are sweet and edible.  

Dried longan fruits（龙眼）

Pork heart （猪心）