Winter Melon Dampness-Clearing Soup

Why people make this soup

Hong Kong summers are relentlessly humid. The combination of heat and moisture that hangs in the air from May onward is exactly the environment in which, according to Chinese medical tradition, the body accumulates what practitioners call “dampness” — a pattern associated with sluggishness, poor appetite, excessive sweating, skin breakouts, and a general feeling of heaviness. The traditional answer has always been a good dampness-clearing soup, and this one is among the most satisfying.

Nourilo came across polyporus mushroom (zhu ling) in a herb shop and was struck by its potency as a dampness-clearing ingredient — a step up in strength from the more common poria. Together with adzuki beans, cooked Job’s tears, and a generous portion of winter melon (skin and seeds included), this soup creates a clear, lightly flavoured broth that supports the digestive system, encourages gentle fluid elimination, and is associated in Chinese food therapy with cleaner skin and a more comfortable urinary system.