Soups
Loofah, Baby Corn and Mudfish Soup
traditionally associated with clearing summer heat, supporting urination and promoting lactation
In short: Loofah, Baby Corn and Mudfish Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with clearing summer heat, supporting urination and promoting lactation. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, children's wellness, everyday balance. Total time about 45 min. Key ingredients: ginger.
Why people make this soup
Walking past a live fish stall, it is hard to miss the mudfish (niu qiu yu) — small, lively fish that are relatively affordable but make a wonderfully sweet and rich broth. When the weather turns hot, this kind of light fish soup paired with loofah and baby corn becomes a household staple in Cantonese families. It is the kind of soup that does not demand much effort but delivers a lot: cooling heat from the inside out, supporting the kidneys and bladder through gentle diuresis, and even helping nursing mothers who find their milk supply is not quite enough. Loofah in particular has a dual reputation — its sap, collected from the vine, was traditionally used both as a skincare tonic (whitening and firming) and as a remedy for phlegmy heat-type asthma. Modern research adds further dimensions, associating it with benefits for cardiovascular and brain health.
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
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.
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
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