Fresh Lotus Pod, Winter Melon and Legume Dampness-Clearing Brew

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 Nourilo’s simple go-to when you feel heavy, sluggish, and overheated on a summer day.