Old Cucumber, Mung Bean and Barley Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When the weather turns hot and people are burning the candle at both ends — think students cramming for exams, or anyone skimping on sleep — the body can build up what traditional Chinese food therapy calls “internal heat”: scratchy throat, mouth sores, breakouts, or just a general feeling of dry stuffiness. Old (yellow) cucumber is one of the most classic Cantonese remedies for this kind of summer heat. Paired with mung beans and barley, this soup has been simmered in Hong Kong kitchens for generations as a way to stay cool from the inside out and keep the body’s fluids replenished through the sweltering months.