Patriotic soup facts for kids
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Homestyle version of the patriotic soup
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| Alternative names | Protect the country dish |
|---|---|
| Type | Soup |
| Place of origin | China |
| Region or state | Chaoshan |
| Main ingredients | Edible leaf vegetable (amaranth, spinach, ipomoea aquatica, sweet potato leaves, chard or other leafy greens), Edible mushrooms (volvariella volvacea, shiitake, black wood ear, cloud ear fungus, white wood ear or other fungi), broth (vegetable, beef, chicken, pork, or other stocks), starch, salt, sesame oil |
| Patriotic soup | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 護國菜 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 护国菜 | ||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | hùguó cài | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Protect the country dish | ||||||||||
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Patriotic soup (simplified Chinese: 护国菜; traditional Chinese: 護國菜; pinyin: hùguó cài; literally "protect the country dish", Teochew: hu gog chai) is a special vegetable soup. It comes from the Teochew people in China. This soup has an interesting history. It was first made a long time ago, during the very last years of China's Song Dynasty.
Contents
The Story Behind Patriotic Soup
The story of Patriotic Soup is quite old. It began during the end of the Song Dynasty in China. The last emperor of the Song Dynasty, named Zhao Bing, was in a tough spot. His kingdom was falling apart.
How the Soup Got Its Name
Emperor Zhao Bing and his followers were trying to escape danger. They found a safe place in a monastery in a city called Chaozhou. The monks there didn't have much food. They quickly made a simple vegetarian soup. They used fresh leaf vegetables, edible mushrooms, and vegetable broth.
The emperor really liked this simple soup. He was so grateful that he named it "protect the country dish" (護國菜). Later, people started calling it "Patriotic Soup" in English. After Emperor Zhao Bing passed away, making this soup became a way to remember and honor him. It was a tribute to the last Song emperor.
Making Patriotic Soup Today
Over time, Patriotic Soup became a popular part of Teochew cuisine. The recipe has changed a bit, but the main idea stays the same. It's still a healthy and tasty soup.
What's in the Soup?
Many people in China now use sweet potato leaves to make this soup. But you can also use other leafy greens. These include amaranth, spinach, or ipomoea aquatica. The soup can be made with different kinds of broth too. Sometimes it's vegetable broth, but other times it might be beef or chicken broth.
Fun Additions and Designs
People often add other ingredients to the soup. These can be things like beaten eggs, shredded ham, tofu, or cellophane noodles. In restaurants in Guangdong Province, chefs sometimes make the soup look fancy. They arrange it to look like a taijitu symbol. This symbol has two swirling halves, one dark and one light.
However, the most traditional way to enjoy Patriotic Soup is often at home. It's usually made simply, just with leafy greens, mushrooms, and vegetable broth. This keeps it close to its original, humble beginnings.
See also
- In Spanish: Sopa patriótica para niños
