Tonic Drinks & Waters
Fresh Lotus Pod, Winter Melon and Legume Dampness-Clearing Brew
traditionally used to clear summer heat, support urination, reduce dampness, and ease swelling
Why people make this brew
Fresh lotus pods come into season from late spring through summer, and they are a wonderfully gentle summer ingredient in Cantonese food therapy. The lotus pod is the round, porous green seedcase of the lotus plant, distinct from the lotus root below the water and the lotus flowers above. It has a mild, gently astringent quality and is considered cooling in traditional Chinese food practice. Paired with skin-on winter melon (always keep the skin — it adds to the diuretic effect), azuki beans, and flat white beans, this brew is Bro Niu’s simple go-to when you feel heavy, sluggish, and overheated on a summer day.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Well-suited to: anyone feeling weighed down by summer heat and humidity; those with mild water retention or puffiness; people wanting a naturally cooling non-sweetened drink; pregnant women in the later stages who experience swelling; those managing blood sugar
- Cautions: those with a very cold constitution may find repeated consumption too cooling — balance with a piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi); children can drink this freely
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh lotus pod (xian lian peng): The pod casing of the lotus is traditionally associated with clearing heat, cooling blood, and stopping nosebleeds. In summer, it makes a gentle anti-heat brew. Tip: extract the lotus seeds from inside before cooking — the seeds (with skin and bitter core removed) can be used in a separate sweet soup with lily bulb and longan.
- Winter melon with skin (dong gua): One of the most heat-clearing, diuretic vegetables in Chinese food therapy. Keeping the green skin on significantly enhances its ability to support urination and reduce water retention.
- Red azuki beans (chi xiao dou): A staple dampness-draining food — considered to help move water out of the body, reduce swelling, and support the spleen.
- Flat white beans (bian dou): Used to strengthen spleen function and resolve dampness. They also traditionally carry a reputation for settling digestive upset in summer.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh lotus pods | 2 pods | Remove the lotus seeds with a small knife; rinse the pods |
| Winter melon | 600 g (about 1 jin) | Wash well and keep skin on; cut into chunks |
| Red azuki beans | 40 g | Soak briefly before cooking |
| Flat white beans (lablab beans) | 40 g | Soak briefly before cooking |
| Water | 8 bowls (approx. 1.6 L) |
Method
- Use a small knife to ease out the lotus seeds from inside each lotus pod. Set the seeds aside (they can be used in a sweet soup with lily bulb and longan). Rinse the hollow pod casings.
- Wash the winter melon and cut into chunks, leaving the green skin and seeds intact.
- Soak and rinse the azuki beans and flat white beans.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 1 hour.
- Serve as a warm or room-temperature brew; carrots and corn can be added for a richer-tasting variation.
Bro Niu’s tips
This brew is also traditionally associated with helping to manage blood sugar, making it a good summer drink for those with diabetes. For children who frequently get nosebleeds: simmer two fresh lotus pods with a little rock sugar and serve as a tea for 3–4 consecutive days. If you have dried lotus pods rather than fresh, they work just as well — use 2 dried pods. You can add carrots and corn for more flavour; if you want this to be a fuller soup, add pork ribs or lean pork.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (Ling): A family member sent me dried lotus pods — can I use them in this soup, and how many? Bro Niu: Dried lotus pods work fine. Use 2 dried pods, the same as you would use fresh. You can also simmer dried lotus pods with poria, white atractylodes, and flat bean skins as a simple dampness-clearing tea.
-
Q (Phillis): I am 8 months pregnant — what soup can I have to clear fetal heat? Bro Niu: You can certainly add the lotus seeds to this brew. For clearing fetal heat, black sesame paste (lightly sweetened) is also a gentle and effective choice at this stage.
-
Q (方太): Should I use raw or cooked coix seed (yi mi) for this recipe? Bro Niu: Use raw (uncooked) coix seed — sheng yi mi. The raw form has the better diuretic and dampness-draining action.
Published June 30, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
