Hawthorn and Pork Stomach Stew: A TCM Digestive Remedy

Hawthorn and Pork Stomach Medicinal Stew: A TCM Dietary Therapy Introduction

Introduction to Medicated Diet

Hawthorn Stewed Pork Stomach is a classic medicinal dish rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine dietary therapy, skillfully combining hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida), which promotes digestion and removes food stagnation, with pork stomach, which tonifies deficiency and strengthens the spleen and stomach. Hawthorn has been used since ancient times as an excellent herb for “dissipating food accumulation and transforming blood stasis,” while pork stomach is recorded in the *Compendium of Materia Medica* as a superior ingredient for “tonifying deficiency, strengthening the spleen and stomach.” This dish features a ruddy color, a rich and savory broth, and can be served both as a side dish with meals and as a daily dietary remedy for regulating the gastrointestinal system. Its preparation method is simple, and the ingredients are readily available, making it widely popular among the people for thousands of years, especially suitable for those with spleen and stomach deficiency and indigestion.

Modern nutritional research has found that hawthorn (Fructus Crataegi) is rich in organic acids, vitamin C, and flavonoids, which can promote gastric juice secretion and enhance digestive enzyme activity. Pork stomach (Stomachus Suis) contains abundant collagen, gastrin, and various trace elements, offering protective effects on the gastric mucosa. When simmered together, they not only preserve the wisdom of traditional food therapy but also align with the synergistic enhancement concept of modern nutrition, making this dish a representative medicinal diet that combines both flavor and health benefits.

Historical Origins

According to the *Shiliao Bencao* (Materia Medica for Dietary Therapy), during the Tang Dynasty, folk customs already included cooking hawthorn (*Crataegus pinnatifida*, Chinese Hawthorn) with animal organs to treat food accumulation. The Song Dynasty *Taiping Shenghui Fang* (Imperial Grace Formulary) recorded the “Hawthorn and Pig Stomach Formula” (Shanzha Zhudu Fang), specifically indicated for “Spleen and Stomach qi deficiency with undigested food.” During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this medicinal dish gradually spread from the imperial court to the common people, becoming a common warming and tonifying soup for the Spleen and Stomach in autumn and winter.

Efficacy of Medicinal Diet

The overall effect of Hawthorn Berry and Pork Stomach Stew centers on fortifying the spleen, opening the stomach, and dissolving food stagnation, while concurrently supplementing deficiency and consumption, and moving qi to transform stasis. It has a significant ameliorative effect on epigastric and abdominal distention and fullness, belching and acid regurgitation, and poor appetite caused by food stagnation. Regular consumption can promote gastrointestinal motility and help decompose greasy foods, making it particularly suitable for post-holiday meals or recovery after excessive meat consumption.

Additionally, this medicinal diet serves as an adjunctive treatment for epigastric dull pain, bloating, and discomfort caused by conditions such as chronic gastritis, gastropotosis, and hyperchlorhydria. The collagen and mucin in pig stomach (pork tripe) form a protective layer on the gastric mucosa, reducing damage from irritating foods to the stomach wall, while the crataegolic acid in hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) regulates gastric acid secretion, achieving a bidirectional balancing effect.

The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine

From the perspective of TCM properties, flavors, and meridian tropism, Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn Fruit) is sour and sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature, and enters the Spleen (Sp), Stomach (St), and Liver (Lv) meridians. Its core actions are to dissipate food accumulation and fortify the stomach, promote qi circulation and disperse stasis, with particular efficacy in resolving greasy, meat-based food stagnation. Sus scrofa domestica (Pork Stomach) is sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and enters the Spleen (Sp) and Stomach (St) meridians. It tonifies deficiency and consumption, fortifies the spleen and stomach, and is a representative food ingredient for the principle of “like treats like” (organotherapy).

When used together, the “reducing” action of Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn berry) and the “tonifying” action of Pig stomach complement each other. Pig stomach tonifies the Qi of the Spleen and Stomach, providing power for digestion; Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn berry) unblocks food stagnation and Qi stagnation, preventing tonification from leading to undigested accumulation. This “combination of reducing and tonifying” (xiaobu jianshi) strategy embodies the balanced wisdom of TCM: “tonify without causing stagnation, reduce without causing damage.” For patients with Spleen and Stomach weakness complicated by food stagnation, using only tonifying medicinals tends to cause stagnation, while using only reducing medicinals risks damaging the righteous Qi (zhengqi). This formula achieves both goals perfectly.

Analysis of Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Envoy

In this medicinal food formula, pig stomach (Sus scrofa domestica, pig stomach) serves as the sovereign, tonifying deficiency and strengthening the spleen; hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pinnatifida, hawthorn) acts as the minister, promoting digestion and relieving stagnation; fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale, fresh ginger) and scallion white (Allium fistulosum, scallion white) function as assistants, warming the middle and dispelling cold, removing fishy odor and enhancing flavor; cooking wine (Vinum Flavum, yellow wine) serves as the envoy, unblocking the blood vessels and guiding the herbs into the stomach. The five flavors are harmonized, collectively achieving the effect of strengthening the spleen and promoting digestion.

Indications

Spleen and Stomach deficiency, poor appetite and low food intake, and postprandial abdominal distension are the most suitable indications. Such individuals often present with a sallow complexion, spirit fatigue and lassitude, loose stools, or stools containing undigested food. Consuming this 1–2 times per week can gradually improve digestive function and strengthen the constitution.

Patients with chronic gastritis, gastroptosis, and gastric acid secretion disorders, as well as office workers who experience stomach discomfort due to irregular eating habits, are also suitable for using this medicated diet for regulation. Additionally, elderly individuals whose spleen and stomach function naturally declines, leading to easy indigestion, can benefit from moderate consumption to aid in nutrient absorption.

Contraindicated populations

For individuals with excessive gastric acid secretion (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD], active gastric ulcer), hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) should be used with caution, as it stimulates gastric acid secretion and may aggravate symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn. Pregnant women should particularly avoid consumption, because hawthorn can excite the uterus and promote uterine contractions, increasing the risk of miscarriage.

Patients with Excess Heat patterns (e.g., dry mouth and throat, constipation, yellow urine, thick yellow tongue coating) should avoid consuming this, as both pig stomach and hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) are warm in nature and can generate heat and fire. Diabetic patients must carefully control their intake, as hawthorn has a relatively high sugar content (approximately 20%), and rock sugar (Saccharum Granorum) is often added in small amounts to the stew. Accordingly, they should reduce their staple food consumption as needed.

Ingredient Formula Proportions

1 fresh pork stomach (approximately 500 g), 20 g dried hawthorn slices (Crataegus pinnatifida) (or 15 fresh hawthorn berries), 20 g fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale), 1 scallion (Allium fistulosum, approximately 30 g), 15 ml cooking wine (Shaoxing wine), 3 g salt, 1 g white pepper, and optionally 5 g goji berries (Lycium barbarum, to enhance color and nourish the liver).

If the main purpose is to strengthen the stomach and promote digestion, appropriately increase the hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) to 25 grams; if the focus is on tonifying deficiency and nourishing the stomach, reduce the hawthorn to 15 grams. Be sure to use fresh pork stomach of the day—frozen pork stomach will have inferior texture and nutritional value. Do not add too much salt among the seasonings, as it may affect the pork stomach’s freshness and medicinal efficacy.

Preparation method

Step 1: Prepare the pig stomach. Turn the pig stomach inside out, rub it repeatedly with flour and salt, then rinse with clean water to remove mucus and odor. Trim off the fat pieces from the inner wall of the stomach, place it in a pot of cold water, add cooking wine and ginger slices, bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam, then remove and wash with warm water.

Step 2: Prepare the adjuncts. Briefly soak dried hawthorn slices (Crataegus pinnatifida) in warm water (or wash and core fresh hawthorn). Slice fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) and cut scallion (Allium fistulosum) into sections. Cut the blanched pork stomach into strips about 3 cm wide to allow the broth to penetrate.

Step 3: Simmering. Place the pig stomach strips, Crataegus pinnatifida (hawthorn) slices, Zingiber officinale (ginger) slices, and Allium fistulosum (scallion) sections into a clay pot. Add sufficient clear water (approximately 1500 ml). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer slowly for 1.5–2 hours. Ten minutes before removing from heat, add Lycium barbarum (goji berries) and salt for seasoning. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with white pepper powder. Serve.

Step Four: Serving. Remove the pig’s stomach, slice it, and arrange on a plate. Ladle the soup into bowls, optionally garnishing with cilantro or chopped scallions. You may drink the soup and eat the meat directly, or use the broth as a base for noodles, which enhances the flavor.

Drinking Tips

1. The optimal time for consumption is either half an hour before a meal on an empty stomach, or one hour after a meal as a digestive aid. It is not recommended to consume it together with large amounts of greasy foods, as this may weaken its digestive effect. Each serving of pig stomach should not exceed 150 grams (dry weight), while the soup can be consumed in moderate amounts.

2. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children should use only under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist. For children, the dosage should be reduced by half, and any overly sour portions of the hawthorn berry (Crataegus pinnatifida) should be removed. Those with excessive stomach acid (hyperacidity) may add a small amount of baking soda or malt sugar (maltose) to the decoction to neutralize the acidity.

3. Medicinal diets should be prepared and consumed fresh, and not stored overnight. If storage is necessary, separate the pig’s stomach from the broth and refrigerate them separately to prevent prolonged contact between the fruit acids in hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) and collagen, which may cause precipitation and affect the texture. When reheating, do not use a microwave; instead, use a clay pot over low heat to restore the flavors.

4. Individuals with the constitution of Yin deficiency with hyperactive fire (manifesting as heat in palms and soles, night sweats, dry mouth and throat) may add small amounts of Maidong (Ophiopogon japonicus, dwarf lilyturf) or Yuzhu (Polygonatum odoratum, fragrant solomonseal) when cooking during the dry autumn and winter seasons. This helps to moderate the warm-dry nature of the ingredients, achieving a clearing and nourishing effect.