Soups
Dampness-Clearing Winter Melon Soup (qu shi dong gua tang)
Traditionally clears summer-heat and drains dampness
Why people make this soup
There’s a Cantonese saying about the hottest days of summer when no one wants to cook. But the heavy, humid air leaves people feeling tired and sluggish, so Bro Niu reaches for a dampness-clearing soup. A proper “dampness-clearing winter melon” pack holds adzuki bean, hyacinth bean, raw and cooked Job’s-tears, fu shen, lotus leaf, lotus pod, kapok flower, ze xie and rush pith — heat-clearing, water-draining herbs that, simmered with winter melon, ease summer-heat restlessness, water retention, and a dry, thirsty mouth.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits people feeling heavy, tired and heat-bothered in humid weather; using a well-aged winter melon (with a white bloom on the skin) keeps it gentle, fine even for those who are somewhat weak.
- During early pregnancy, leave out the Job’s-tears and kapok flower; the other ingredients can be used.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Aged winter melon (lao dong gua): traditionally clears heat and toxins; the bloom-covered aged melon is mild rather than harshly cooling.
- The herb pack (adzuki, Job’s-tears, lotus leaf, ze xie, etc.): traditionally clear summer-heat and drain water and dampness.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dampness-clearing soup pack | 1 pack | rinsed and soaked |
| Aged winter melon | 1 catty (~600 g) | with skin and seeds, washed, cut into chunks |
Method
- Rinse and soak the dampness-clearing pack. Wash the aged winter melon (keep the skin and seeds) and cut into chunks.
- Put everything in a pot with 8 bowls of water and simmer 3 hours down to 4–5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
A winter melon with a white bloom on the skin is “aged” and has heat-clearing power; it’s gentle enough even for a weaker body. You can add honey dates and lean pork. If your constitution runs cold, add a couple of pieces of aged tangerine peel so it won’t feel too cooling.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (lydia): My body runs cold — do I need to add ginger when cooking the winter-melon dampness pack? Bro Niu: Add 2 pieces of aged tangerine peel to the dampness pack and it won’t be cooling — even cold constitutions can use it.
- Q (May): Can pregnant women drink this soup? I heard they shouldn’t have raw or cooked Job’s-tears. Bro Niu: As long as you leave out the Job’s-tears, the other ingredients can be cooked with winter melon and drunk.
- Q (JC): Eight bowls of water for three hours down to 4–5 bowls — are these rice bowls? Open flame? Bro Niu: Yes, ordinary rice bowls. These are home-style recipes, so a bit more or less doesn’t matter — one bowl per person; for 4 people make about 4 bowls. Start on a strong flame, then turn to low.
Published July 15, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
