Seahorse Tonic Soup

TCM - Seahorses are beneficial for the complexion and as a restorative detox/cleanser. Good for people who have been partying too much.

I had lunch at Chinatown today and passed by this stretch of TCM halls, that is always a feast for the eyes - deer antlers, pearls, bird's nest etc. So anyway, these seahorses caught my eye and I thought I would try it. The Cantonese always make soup with 4 seahorses. In this packet there is 1 male, 1 female (it's like a yin yang thing) and 2 sea dragons. Add the herb mix with 200gm meat (usually pork with a bit of fat) and fill with just enough water to cover all the ingredients. Double boil (very important!) for 2 hrs and it's ready. There is a trick here, you have to soak the seahorses in hot water for 5-15mins, throw away that water and place the seahorses into the soup pot.