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.