Loofah, Dried Scallop and Peanut Soup

Why people make this soup

After giving birth, many mothers find their milk supply slow to establish, and traditional Chinese food therapy has long turned to loofah for this purpose. Loofah is rich in B vitamins and is valued for its mild cooling, phlegm-clearing nature, as well as the folk belief that its fibrous interior channels (the luffa sponge network, called “si gua luo”) carry a gentle circulation-supporting quality that may help promote milk flow. Older, more mature loofah is traditionally considered even more beneficial. Combined with peanuts and dried figs — classic galactagogue foods in Cantonese cooking — and protein-rich dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms, the result is a soup that is light, naturally sweet and genuinely pleasant to eat on a warm summer day.