Loofah, Baby Corn and Mudfish Soup

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.

Method

1. Clean and gut the mudfish thoroughly. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the fish on both sides until lightly golden — this removes any muddy flavour and produces a richer, whiter broth.
2. Peel the loofah and cut into chunks.
3. Rinse the baby corn.
4. Bring 1.8 L of water to a boil. Add the fried fish, baby corn and ginger slices. Cook at a lively simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the loofah chunks and cook for a further 10 minutes.
6. Serve immediately. Eat the broth and some of the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is naturally sweet and pleasant — the whole family can enjoy it. It is particularly good for nursing mothers. For a variation, salmon head can be used instead of mudfish (expect a stronger, slightly more robust flavour); it pairs well with gordon euryale seeds (qian shi), American ginseng (tai zi shen) and red dates. Baby corn and fish together do raise the purine level, so those managing gout should keep servings moderate.