This soup is excellent for assisting in coughs and removing phelgm.  It also aids in providing moisture (with the chestnuts) to the body and lungs for those dry autumn and winter months.  It is considered a pretty sweet soup and ideal for all ages.

• 1 pound of fresh pork shank
• 1/2 dried luo han guo
• 1 tablespoon of  apricot kernals
• 15 whole raw chestnuts
• 2-3 bunches of fresh watercress
• 1 large piece of dried tangerine pee
• 2-3 L of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt (to marinate the pork)

1. Pre-marinate the pork overnight with the salt (although this step is not necessary)
2. Boil your soup water
3. Blanch pork shank in a separate pot of boiling water for 7-10 minutes until you see some brown foam come to the top.  This step will also rinse the salt from the pork bones.
4. In another separate pot, boil chestnuts for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from water and peel while still hot (removing the outer and inner skin).  You can also use prepackaged deshelled chestnuts, but I find they aren’t as sweet or tasty! 
5. Start with a quarter of the dried luo han guo and rinse in warm water.  I will smash the whole dried fruit with the flat side of a butcher’s knife and use only the outer shell and not the insides.
6. Wash and soak apricot kernals and tangerine peel in warm water
7. When the water boils, add all the ingredients together except the watercress (this should be added last because it will stay relatively crunchy before consumption)
8. Boil on high for thirty minutes and reduce to a simmer for another 1.5 hours (or use a thermal pot)
9. When almost ready to drink, re-boil and add in watercress.  Boil on high for 10 minutes (or until desired softness of watercress)
10. Serve and enjoy!

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