Chaoshan Daikon & Pork Soup (Chao Shan Qing Tang)

The story

Chaoshan people — famous across China for the most refined food culture in Guangdong — believe the clearest soups have the deepest flavor. This is their default weeknight soup: the pot does all the work, and the only skill is patience. The pork poaches into sliceable tenderness while the daikon drinks up all the sweetness.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Lean pork (loin or shoulder), one whole chunk — 12 oz / 350 g
• Daikon radish — 1 large, chunked
• Celery — 2 stalks, sliced (added at the end — do not skip)
• Scallions or cilantro — small handful, chopped
• Goji berries (optional) — 1 tbsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Put the whole pork chunk and daikon in a pot, cover with 6 cups / 1.4 L cold water. Bring to a bare simmer, skim the foam once, then leave it barely bubbling for 25 minutes.
2. Add the celery in the last 3 minutes (this is the Chaoshan signature — celery cooked briefly stays green and tastes like freshness itself).
3. Take out the pork, slice it thin, return it to the pot. Salt generously — clear soups need more salt than you think. Scallions on top. Two bowls: soup first, then pork slices with soy sauce for dipping.

Swaps

Pork loin, shoulder or even bone-in chops all work. Half a daikon + half a carrot makes it sweeter for kids. Celery is the soul — but if you must, use cilantro stems.