Wild Watercress and Monk Fruit Drink

Why people make this drink

If you are a habitual night owl — late nights at the desk, early mornings for work — you may recognise the pattern: a scratchy throat by mid-week, cracked lips, irritability, and that unpleasant “heat” feeling that makes everything feel worse. In Chinese food therapy, this is described as internal heat building up when the body does not get enough rest to clear it. Wild watercress (known in Cantonese markets as tang ge cai) is a mild, peppery water plant traditionally used to clear this kind of accumulated heat. Paired with monk fruit — one of the most effective natural throat-soothers in the Chinese pantry — you get a drink that is genuinely pleasant to taste, naturally sweet, and very easy on the system. It works well as a summer cooling drink for the whole family, not just for the sleep-deprived.