Great Grand Father's Old Hen and Ngia Soup

Ngia is Chinese mugwort, a popular herb used by the Foochows.

Ngia is planted by the Foochows in their back garden because it is a cooling and useful herb. It is also considered a vegetable.

Normally when a Foochow grandfather is tired from over work, the whole family would get to get ngia cooked with an old hen.






My aunt used to tell me how my small feet great grandmother would get the adopted grand daughter to pluck some ngia from the garden, clean the leaves and start the fire.

Soon great grandmother would get her to slaughter an old hen , chopped it up and boiled together with the ngia soup.

The first bowl of soup would be presented to great grandfather, after the soup had been boiling for about three hours on the slow wood fire stove.

Today it is a fragrant herbal soup, usually prepared by a loving wife or mother for the whole family to enjoy.