Nourilo

Herbal & Flower Teas

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

traditionally used to relieve summer heat, clear dampness, and support comfortable digestion in hot weather

In short: Winter Melon, Lotus Leaf, Red Adzuki and Barley Summer Tea is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to relieve summer heat, clear dampness, and support comfortable digestion in hot weather. It is most often made for digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat, everyday balance. Total time about 1 hr 40 min. Key ingredients: red adzuki beans, poria, honey dates.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
10 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Total
1 hr 40 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
Digestive WellnessCooling & Summer HeatEveryday Balance
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.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

Members only

Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips

One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.

  • Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
  • Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
  • One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals

Checking your access…

Spot an error? Report a correction

You might also like

Related recipes

More herbal & flower teas →

Comments

Loading comments…