Pork Rib and Winter Bamboo Shoot Soup

Blanch the pork ribs to remove the blood foam.

Clean the winter bamboo shoots and set aside.

Clean the fresh shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems, and make a cross cut. Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces for later use.

Add water to a clay pot and bring it to a boil. Put the blanched ribs into the clay pot along with 2 slices of fresh ginger, bay leaves, tsaoko, star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, and two slices of dried hawthorn. Simmer on high heat in the clay pot for about 30 minutes. Add dried winter bamboo shoots and continue heating on high. If the soup seems insufficient, you can add boiling water and cook for another 30 minutes. Then add shiitake mushrooms and carrot chunks, reduce to medium heat, and continue heating for about 40 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Finally, add an appropriate amount of salt and pepper.

Remove from the pot and serve in a bowl.