Stocks & broths
Qing Tang
清汤 · A foundational Chinese clear broth built from old hen and pork bones, simmered long at a bare bubble and clarified with a meat-and-blood raft (扫汤) to yield a crystal-clear, deeply savory, neutral-flavored liquid used as a reusable base for soups, noodle bowls, hot pots, and braised preparations.
The formula
5 kg old hen : 2.5 kg pork bones : 15 L water
Banquet-scale ratio (~2:1 hen to bones, ~1:2 bones to water); one meat/blood raft (扫汤) per ~5 L finished broth
Identity
- Chinese clear broth
- Reusable foundational base, not a finished dish
- Crystal-clear appearance from raft clarification
- Neutral savory flavor profile
- Built primarily from poultry and pork bones
- Clarified via minced-meat raft (扫汤 / sao tang)
Ingredients
| Base | old hen (老母鸡) | Mature laying hen provides deep umami and rich gelatin; chopped into chunks. |
| Base | pork leg bones (猪棒骨) | Adds body, sweetness, and minerals; ratio roughly 2:1 hen to bones. |
| Aromatics | ginger | Bruised, to suppress gaminess during the long simmer. |
| Aromatics | scallion | Cut into long sections; added at the start. |
| Flavor | Shaoxing wine | Added mid-simmer to lift aromatics and mask any residual off-notes. |
| Flavor | white peppercorns | Optional; subtle warmth, typical for clear-style stocks and qing tang mian. |
| Base | minced chicken/duck + blood (扫汤料) | Whisked into warm stock to form a clarifying raft; one batch per ~5 L for banquet clarity. |
Method
- 1Blanch hen and bones in fresh water, drain, and rinse off the scum.Pre-removes blood and impurities so the long simmer produces a cleaner, clearer broth.
- 2Combine blanched hen, bones, and ~15 L cold water; bring up slowly to a bare simmer only.A cold start and gentle heat extract gelatin without emulsifying fat or clouding the liquid.
- 3Add bruised ginger, scallion sections, and white peppercorns if using; skim continuously for the first 30–45 minutes.Continuous low-heat skimming is the first pass of clarification and prevents a greasy mouthfeel.
- 4Add Shaoxing wine after about 1 hour; maintain a bare, never-rolling simmer for 4–6 hours total.Long gentle simmer releases collagen for body; a rolling boil would emulsify fat and haze the stock.
- 5Strain the stock off the solids through a fine mesh; keep the liquid warm.Separates the flavorful liquid from bones and solids so it can move to the clarification stage.
- 6Whisk minced chicken/duck with blood into a slurry; stir into the warm stock (one batch per ~5 L), bring slowly to a near-simmer so the meat rises as a raft, then rest off-heat 20–30 minutes.The protein raft (扫汤) adsorbs suspended fats and particles, producing banquet-grade crystal clarity.
- 7Strain again through fine cloth or muslin; cool rapidly and store.Removes the raft and yields the final reusable clear base, free of solids and surface fat.
Techniques that matter
Bare simmer (不翻滚)
Preserves clarity by avoiding fat emulsification and protein coagulation into haze.
Raft clarification (扫汤 sao tang)
Coagulating proteins from minced meat and blood trap suspended impurities for crystal clarity.
Cold-water start and continuous skimming
Draws out impurities gradually and removes them before they cloud the stock.
Variations & derivatives
Sichuan hot-pot clear broth (清汤火锅)Sichuan / Chongqing
Leaner ~4:1 chicken-to-pork-bones ratio; often finished with goji berries, dried scallop, or mushrooms.
Shandong banquet qing tangShandong / Northern banquet kitchens
Heavier hen-and-bone ratio with full raft clarification; used under shark's fin and bird's nest.
Cantonese superior stock (上汤)Cantonese
Often includes dried scallop and Jinhua ham; clarified without blood for a paler look.
Home-style Qing Dun Jitang (清炖鸡汤)Sichuan / home kitchens
Single-pot version using one whole chicken; minimal aromatics for a soothing clear soup.
Clear beef noodle broth (清汤牛肉面)Northern / Sichuan-style
qing tang base combined with beef shank aromatics; chili oil served on the side.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- old hen (老母鸡) → whole roaster chicken — Lacks the deep gelatin of a mature laying hen; stock will be thinner and less savory.
- pork leg bones (猪棒骨) → pork trotters or duck frames — Trotters add more gelatin; duck frames add a gamier note. Adjust ratio to taste.
- Shaoxing wine → dry sherry or omit — Sherry mimics the aromatic lift; omitting reduces masking of any residual off-notes.
- minced chicken + blood raft → minced chicken + egg white only — Egg-white-only raft still clarifies but with slightly less adsorbent capacity; safe for home use.
Troubleshooting
Stock is cloudy or milky
Boiled too hard, fat emulsified, or skimmed too late → Cool, degrease, then perform a raft clarification (扫汤) with minced meat and/or egg white.
Thin, watery mouthfeel with no body
Insufficient gelatin from bones or simmer cut short → Add pork trotters or feet next time; simmer a further 1–2 hours to extract more collagen.
Greasy or slick mouthfeel
Inadequate skimming or fat cap left in stock → Chill briefly to solidify surface fat and lift it off; otherwise raft-clarify.
Off, sulfurous, or gamey aroma
Skipped blanch or proteins added without a cold-water start → Blanch proteins first next time, and add Shaoxing wine mid-simmer to mask residual notes.