Sugarcane, Water Chestnut, Carrot and Barley Drink

Why people make this drink

Nourilo 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.