Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup 莲藕排骨汤

How it is made

The traditional method, as Chinese Wikipedia describes it for Wuhan, uses a large black clay pot that Wuhan people call a diaozi (吊子). The pot has a wide mouth and a big belly, and can easily take a dozen or more jin (斤, half-kilogram units) of lotus root and ribs. Water is added and the pot is left over a low fire for several hours; the soup counts as ready only when the meat comes away from the bones.

Slow simmering of this kind, called wei (煨), is one of the core techniques of Hubei cooking, alongside steaming, deep-frying, braising and stir-frying.

Ingredients

The preferred lotus root is the segmented root that comes to market in winter, when the segments are plump and high in starch. Only root of this kind, Chinese Wikipedia says, simmers to the soft, floury texture the soup should have.

Where it comes from

Wuhan lies in the Han-Mian (汉沔) area of Hubei cooking, which also covers Xiantao (仙桃), Xiaogan (孝感) and Macheng (麻城): a flat country with many lakes, where steamed dishes and simmered soups have their own distinct place. Wuhan's custom of serving simmered soup to guests is best known for this soup, and also includes chicken and beef soups.

In old Wuhan the pork-rib and lotus-root soup was a ceremonious dish: ordinary households made it only at festivals or when an important guest came. In the 2019 provincial list it stands beside scallion-braised Wuchang fish (葱烧武昌鱼), Mianyang three steamed dishes (沔阳三蒸) and Huangzhou Dongpo pork (黄州东坡肉).