Adzuki Bean, Mung Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Aged Tangerine Peel Drink

Why people make this drink

During Hong Kong’s famously humid spring months, dehumidifiers run continuously and laundry never fully dries. But more than just being uncomfortable, this kind of environmental dampness has long been recognized in Chinese medicine as something that enters the body too — manifesting as heavy, achy limbs, a foggy head, facial puffiness, itchy skin, excessive drooling during sleep, or a thick, greasy coating on the tongue. The traditional response is to eat and drink things that help the spleen process this excess moisture and restore the body’s fluid balance.

This three-bean drink is one of the simplest and most practical tools for that purpose. It doesn’t taste medicinal — it’s pleasant, slightly earthy, and can be made sweet or savory to suit your preference. The combination of adzuki bean, mung bean, and hyacinth bean covers three different angles: draining excess water, clearing heat, and supporting the spleen function directly. Aged tangerine peel ties everything together by moving qi and preventing the beans from becoming too dampening themselves.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited for the whole family — adults, elderly, and children — especially during humid seasons or whenever dampness symptoms appear
• Perfectly safe as a regular spring and summer wellness drink
• Mung beans and barley (if added) are slightly cooling in nature — not a concern for most people in moderate quantities, but those with a pronounced cold, weak constitution can reduce the mung bean proportion and increase the hyacinth bean, which is more neutral

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Adzuki bean (chi xiao dou): Associated with draining excess water, reducing puffiness, and supporting the bladder in clearing damp; neutral to slightly cool in nature, making it safe year-round
• Mung bean (lu dou): Slightly cooling; associated with clearing heat and toxins, reducing fat, and lowering blood pressure; a classic summer heat-clearing food in Cantonese tradition
• Hyacinth bean (bai bian dou): Warm and neutral; associated with strengthening the spleen-stomach system directly, clearing summer-dampness, and supporting digestion; the most “middle of the road” of the three beans, suitable even for people with slightly cold constitutions
• Aged tangerine peel (chen pi): The older and more aromatic the better; associated with moving qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm; prevents the beans from sitting heavily in the stomach

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Adzuki bean (chi xiao dou)	37 g (1 liang)	Soak 1 hour before cooking
Mung bean (lu dou)	37 g (1 liang)	Soak 1 hour before cooking
Hyacinth bean (bai bian dou)	37 g (1 liang)	Soak 1 hour before cooking
Aged tangerine peel (chen pi)	2 pieces	Soak until softened

Method

1. Soak all three types of beans in water for at least 1 hour. Soak the tangerine peel until softened.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. Place all ingredients together in a pot with 7 bowls of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the beans are fully soft and the liquid has reduced to about 4 bowls.
4. Serve warm. You can eat the beans alongside the broth — they are pleasant and filling.
5. To make it sweet: add rock sugar at the end. To make it savory: add winter melon and lean pork and simmer together from the start.

Bro Niu’s tips

This drink is mild and versatile — not too sweet, not too bitter, just clean and earthy. It works as is, or you can build it into a fuller soup by adding winter melon and lean pork at the beginning. A pinch of rock sugar at the end if you want it sweet, or serve plain as a warm drink on its own. The beans are good to eat — don’t throw them out. For children, adzuki bean and hyacinth bean are the safest options to use year-round; mung bean is fine too in the warmer months.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (铃): Is this drink suitable for children? Which bean is best for clearing dampness in kids without being too cooling? Bro Niu: Adzuki bean and hyacinth bean are both excellent for children and have a neutral temperament, so they’re safe year-round. Mung bean and barley are slightly cooling, but fine to use in summer or when there’s obvious heat — they clear heat and dampness well.

• Q (Lily): Is this soup suitable for an elderly person with protein in the urine, high blood pressure, and mild diabetes? Bro Niu: The three-bean and winter melon soup is suitable in moderate amounts for those conditions. Regarding blanching meat before cooking: it mainly removes blood, odor, and lymph toxins, so the soup surface stays clean and isn’t covered in foam and fat — worth doing if possible.

• Q (Mon): In the UK during summer (25–30°C, humidity 45–85%), can I still drink this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, you can drink this soup regularly for support.

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Published February 11, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.