Bitter Melon, Cowpea and Pork Rib Soup (Ku Gua Mei Dou Xi Shi Gu Tang)

Why people make this soup

Summer heat, humidity, and the natural impulse to drink more water can leave you feeling bloated and heavy-faced in the mornings. Nourilo noticed exactly this after drinking heavily during an especially hot stretch: waking up with a puffy face is a sign the body’s fluid-regulating system is working overtime. That is when a soup like this makes a lot of sense — cowpea (mei dou) is valued in traditional practice for strengthening the spleen’s ability to manage dampness and water, while bitter melon brings cooling, heat-clearing properties. Together with pork neck bones for body, and ginger to keep things balanced, this is a practical, genuinely tasty summer pot.

There is a charming folk description of bitter melon in Cantonese cooking: it is nicknamed “the gentleman’s vegetable” (jun zi cai) because its bitterness stays with itself and does not transfer to the other ingredients in the pot. Simmer bitter melon with pork, soybean, or in soup — the broth will not turn unpleasantly bitter.