The story of my family’s recipe of Pig Stomach Pork Rib Soup is one of a mother’s love and comfort to her daughter, specifically, the love of my maternal grandmother’s love for my own mother.

When my parents got married, it was back in the days when sons, were much preferred over daughters, in the traditional Chinese family. When I was born, the elders of my father’s family were very unhappy that I was a baby girl. They would have preferred a male heir to continue the family line. Due to the superstitions of the elders, my mother did not receive the appropriate post-natal care from her in-laws’ family.

My grandmother was heartbroken to see her own daughter’s health being neglected, especially when post-natal care for a woman was particularly important for the Chinese. She spent her own grocery money, using up the entire month’s allowance, to buy a pig stomach and pork ribs, which she made into a big pot of soup, as tonic for my mother’s confinement. She comforted her daughter, saying that eating a pig stomach was equivalent to changing a new stomach; the next baby would then be a boy. Sure enough, my mother gave birth to a baby boy, my brother!

Now, this soup is my family’s favourite and they think of it as the most satisfying dish. Whenever we have family gatherings, there will always be a big pot of piping hot Pig Stomach Pork Rib Soup boiling on the kitchen stove besides the array of buffet dishes.

I am very happy to share this recipe on My Singapore Food with everyone!