Chinese-style bone broth
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1. About this recipe
Bone broth — gu tang — is the foundation of countless Chinese tonic soups and a deeply nourishing food in its own right. In TCM, long-simmered bone broth concentrates the jing (essence) and Kidney-yang energy of the animal, making it one of the most powerful tonics for weakness, postpartum recovery, infertility and convalescence. The Chinese style differs from Western bone broth in its addition of jujube, ginger, goji and other gentle warming herbs.
2. Ingredients
- 1.5kg meat bones — chicken carcasses, pork bones, beef marrow bones, or a mix
- 3 litres cold water
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1 small piece dried tangerine peel (chen pi) or fresh orange peel
- 8–10 jujube (red dates)
- 1 tbsp goji berries
- 2 spring onions, white parts only
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (optional, helps mineral extraction)
- Salt to taste at end
3. Method
- Blanch bones in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and rinse (removes blood scum and gives a clearer broth).
- Place all ingredients except goji and salt in a heavy stock pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to the gentlest possible simmer.
- Simmer for 8–12 hours for full extraction (or 4–6 hours for chicken-only).
- Top up water as needed to keep bones submerged.
- Add goji berries in the final 30 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve. Salt to taste.
- Cool, refrigerate; the broth should set into a soft jelly when cold (a sign of high collagen and gelatin).
4. Variations
- Lamb-bone version — warmer, more strongly Kidney-yang tonifying; good for severe yang deficiency.
- Beef-bone version — particularly good for blood deficiency.
- Chicken-bone version — gentler, suitable for daily use; good for qi deficiency.
5. When to eat it
Drink one mug daily, or use as the cooking liquid for soups, congee, stews and braising. Particularly indicated for: postpartum recovery, fertility preparation, low Kidney essence, fatigue, weak digestion and convalescence. Avoid in acute fever or strong damp-heat patterns; reduce in heavy damp constitutions.
