Sugarcane, Water Chestnut, Carrot and Barley Drink

Why people make this drink

Bro Niu came back to this recipe for a very practical reason: after teaching long classes indoors while wearing a face mask — something that became all too familiar in recent years — she noticed her throat becoming dry and uncomfortable, and small red bumps appearing where the mask rested on her face. Inside, she felt the familiar warmth of internal heat building up. She knew immediately what to cook. This four-ingredient drink is a classic Cantonese summer remedy: naturally sweet from the sugarcane, crisp and cooling from the water chestnuts, gently nourishing from the carrot and barley. The result is a clear, pleasant broth that feels genuinely refreshing rather than medicinal. What makes it particularly useful is that it suits nearly everyone, regardless of whether they tend to run hot or cold.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family, hot or cold constitutions alike; ideal as a summer seasonal drink
• Particularly helpful for people feeling overheated, dry-throated, irritable, or who have developed heat-related skin rashes or prickly heat
• Also associated with supporting recovery from chickenpox (mild cases), reducing itch and supporting the skin
• Children can drink this freely in summer

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Sugarcane (zhu zhe): One of the most classic heat-clearing, throat-moistening ingredients in Cantonese food therapy; associated with generating body fluids and easing dry coughs; choose sugarcane sold with the skin on and check that the flesh inside has not turned red or spoiled
• Water chestnut (ma ti): Crisp and cooling; associated in food therapy with clearing heat, dissolving phlegm and soothing the throat; also said to support digestive health
• Carrot (hong luo bo): A warming, nourishing element that balances the cooling nature of the other ingredients; associated with supporting the spleen and skin
• Raw barley / Job’s tears (sheng yi mi): Supports healthy fluid metabolism and is associated in food therapy with clearing heat-dampness; contributes a mild thickening and nourishing quality to the broth

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Sugarcane	1 stick	Split lengthwise; choose with skin on, flesh should not be red
Carrot	1 medium	Peeled and cut into chunks
Water chestnuts (ma ti)	8 pieces	Peeled and cut
Raw barley (sheng yi mi)	38 g (~1 liang)	Soaked and rinsed
Water	7 bowls (~1.4 litres)	Reduces to 4 bowls

Method

1. Scrub the sugarcane thoroughly under running water, then split lengthwise (keeping the skin on). Check that the flesh is white or pale yellow — discard if it has turned red.
2. Peel and cut the carrot and water chestnuts into chunks.
3. Soak and rinse the raw barley.
4. Place all ingredients in a pot with 7 bowls (about 1.4 litres) of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 hour until about 4 bowls remain.
6. Serve warm, drinking the liquid and eating the vegetables if desired. (No meat is needed in this recipe.)

Bro Niu’s tips

Always choose sugarcane sold with its skin still on — split it open before cooking and make sure the inner flesh has not turned red or become mouldy, as spoiled sugarcane should not be used. The drink needs no added meat; it is a pure vegetable broth and is delicious as is. It is also associated in food therapy with helping with heat rash, skin eruptions and water chickenpox — the natural sweetness and cooling quality help to reduce irritation and itch. If sugarcane is not available (as in some countries), a small amount of rock sugar can be added to give the broth a similar sweetness.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (吴太): I can’t find sugarcane where I live. What can I substitute? Bro Niu: If you can’t get sugarcane, just add an appropriate amount of rock sugar to the other ingredients — it gives the broth a similar sweet note.

• Q (jennifer): For six people, how much do I need and how long to cook? Bro Niu: For six people, add one more carrot and about six more water chestnuts. Use about 9 bowls of water and simmer for 1 hour to reduce to about 6 bowls.

• Q (小玲): My son is 10 and has lots of red spots on his nose and wakes up with lots of mucus — can he drink this? Bro Niu: This drink will help clear heat, and your son can have it. For nasal allergies, try steeping about 8 crushed magnolia flower buds (xin yi hua) as a tea — a little honey can be added. Try this for a week and see if it helps.

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Published June 19, 2020 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.