Tonic Drinks & Waters
Loofah, Water Chestnut and Dace Fish Paste Stir-fry
traditionally associated with relieving summer heat, clearing the heart, and providing light, refreshing nourishment
In short: Loofah, Water Chestnut and Dace Fish Paste Stir-fry is a tonic drinks & water that traditionally associated with relieving summer heat, clearing the heart, and providing light, refreshing nourishment. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, heart & circulation, everyday balance. Total time about 25 min. Key ingredients: water chestnuts, egg white, ginger, garlic.
Why people make this dish
Summer in Hong Kong is hot and heavy, and the appetite naturally turns toward lighter, cooler food. Loofah (si gua) is one of Nourilo’s favourite summer vegetables — tender, mildly fragrant, incredibly versatile. In traditional food thinking, it is cooling and helps the body dissipate accumulated summer heat.
What makes this dish particularly satisfying is the contrast of textures: silky pan-fried fish cakes against the soft loofah and the snap of water chestnuts. Dace fish paste (ling yu hua) is a Cantonese pantry staple — you mix it with egg white, salt, and cornstarch to form small patties that hold together beautifully in the wok. The whole stir-fry comes together in under ten minutes once the prep is done.
Nourilo also notes that loofah has long been used in folk beauty practice — the fresh juice mixed with a little honey makes a gentle face mask traditionally associated with reducing wrinkles and clearing skin congestion.
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.
- Ginger
Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies - Garlic
Gamma-delta T and NK cells proliferated better and were more activated than with placebo. The number of illnesses did not differ significantly, but cold and flu severity and missed days were lower.Limitation: Cold and flu outcomes were self-reported in daily diaries, and the dose was a concentrated extract that is not comparable to dietary garlic.PubMed 26764332 · 2 more garlic 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.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- Rice wine / alcohol: This recipe contains alcohol. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the NHS recommends not drinking alcohol; leave it out or choose another recipe. Source: NHS — Alcohol in pregnancy
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
Members only
Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips
One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.
- Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
- Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
- One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals
Checking your access…
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Sign in or create a free account, then pay once by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Signed in as ·
Secure checkout by Stripe. One-time payment, no renewals. Access is linked to your Nourilo account and never expires. By paying you agree to our Terms of Use; you can get a full refund within 14 days (refund policy).
Comments
Join the conversation — sign in or create a free account to comment.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments…