Winter Melon Dampness-Clearing Soup

Why people make this soup

In the depths of a hot southern Chinese summer — particularly around the solar term known as “Minor Heat” (Xiao Shu) in early July — Nourilo makes a point of preparing dampness-clearing soups for the family. The concept of “dampness” (shi) in traditional food therapy refers to a sluggish, heavy, waterlogged feeling in the body that can build up when the weather is hot and humid, when you drink too many iced drinks, or when the digestive system is working less efficiently. Symptoms people describe include fatigue, a heavy head, poor appetite, and a general sense of being weighed down. This soup is the Cantonese household answer to all of that. Pre-packaged dampness-clearing herb mixes are sold in virtually every Chinese herb shop; they typically contain a combination of adzuki beans, barley, hyacinth beans, smilax root, alisma, and lotus pods — all mild, food-grade herbs that work together gently. Winter melon amplifies the heat-clearing, diuretic effect and makes the soup light and refreshing rather than heavy.

Method

1. Rinse the herb mix under running water.
2. Wash the winter melon thoroughly (keep the skin on, as it enhances the clearing effect). Cut into large chunks; the seeds can be included.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to about 1.2 L.
4. Serve warm. Drink the soup and eat the softened winter melon.

Nourilo’s Tips

• You can add a piece of fresh lotus leaf (he ye) and some lean pork to make the soup more substantial and enhance the heat-clearing effect
• If coix barley is not available separately, a packet of “five-flower tea” (wu hua cha) from a Cantonese herbal shop has a similar clearing function
• If someone in the family has a cold constitution or frequent loose stools, reduce the amount of herb mix or replace with a gentler alternative: poria (fu ling), white atractylodes (bai zhu), and hyacinth bean coat (bian dou yi) — 11 g each — with dried tangerine peel and lean pork
• This soup can also be brewed with old cucumber (lao huang gua) in place of winter melon with a similarly refreshing result