Soups

Kudzu Root, Adzuki Bean, Job's Tears and Pork Rib Soup

traditionally clears heat, relieves dampness, and eases stiff neck and shoulders

In short: Kudzu Root, Adzuki Bean, Job's Tears and Pork Rib Soup is a soup that traditionally clears heat, relieves dampness, and eases stiff neck and shoulders. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: adzuki beans, job's tears / coix seed, tangerine peel, pork ribs.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Kudzu Root, Adzuki Bean, Job's Tears and Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

Scorching summer heat doesn’t just make you sweat — it tightens muscles, clouds the mind, and stirs up irritability and restlessness. In Cantonese food therapy, this kind of heat-and-tension pattern is precisely where kudzu root (fen ge) shines. Kudzu is traditionally used to cool the body, clear “bone fire” (deep internal heat), calm the stomach, and, notably, ease stiff neck and shoulder pain that can come from both heat exposure and long hours in cold air-conditioning. Paired with adzuki beans and Job’s tears for draining dampness, and a piece of dried tangerine peel to keep the digestion smooth, this is one of the most versatile summer soups in the Cantonese repertoire.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Kudzu root · Randomized controlled trial, 20 participants · 2015
    The kudzu group reduced intake from 3.0 to 1.9 beers after treatment, while the placebo group rose from 2.7 to 3.4. Kudzu-treated participants also drank more slowly.Limitation: Very small sample (10 per group) with a single dose in a laboratory setting, so results may not carry over to everyday drinking.PubMed 26048637 · 2 more kudzu root studies
  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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