Winter Melon, Lotus Leaf, Red Adzuki and Barley Summer Tea

Why people make this tea

Around the Minor Heat (Xiao Shu) solar term in early July, the air in Hong Kong becomes heavy and stifling — and this is exactly when families traditionally brew this simple cooling drink. The idea is not complicated: summer heat and accumulated dampness make people feel sluggish, bloated, and thirsty, and a gentle pot of this tea helps the body do what it needs to do to stay comfortable.

Nourilo specifies one important detail: the best winter melon for this purpose is the old, fully ripe variety that has developed a visible white frost on its skin (pei shuang dong gua). This frost-coated maturity means the flesh is denser and more medicinal than an immature melon. Fresh lotus leaf pairs beautifully with the melon — use it immediately or dry it for later.

Method

1. Rinse the winter melon; cut into chunks. The skin may be left on for this recipe.
2. Rinse red adzuki beans, barley, and poria.
3. If using fresh lotus leaf, rinse it; if using dried, rinse briefly.
4. Combine all ingredients with 2.4 L of water in a large pot.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours until liquid reduces to around 1.2 L.
6. Drink the tea warm or at room temperature. Can be served as a light meal broth too.

Nourilo’s Tips

For the best cooling effect, choose the old frost-covered winter melon. Fresh lotus leaves are ideal but dried ones work fine — if you can find a fresh lotus leaf, use it immediately rather than letting it sit. For people with a cold constitution, replace barley (yi mi) with flat-beans (bian dou) to reduce the cooling nature. You can also use rock sugar or dried tangerine peel (chen pi) in place of honey dates for different flavour profiles. This tea can be drunk every other day during summer.