Hairy Melon, Hyacinth Bean and Pan-Fried Small Sea Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

Small fresh sea fish — varieties like red grouper (hong shan), mullet, and similar small saltwater fish — make wonderfully sweet and flavoursome soups, particularly when pan-fried first until golden. Paired with hairy melon (jie gua) for its moistening, fluid-regulating properties, and hyacinth beans (mei dou) for spleen support, this becomes a light but genuinely nourishing everyday soup. Nourilo also recommends it for postpartum women who have become constipated from eating too many warming tonic foods — the hairy melon and beans help restore balance.