With summer temperatures soaring this year and the Great Heat solar term approaching, moderate consumption of cooling soups can help alleviate discomfort from the heat. A registered Chinese Medicine practitioner explains the characteristics, properties, indications, and contraindications of common summer soup ingredients, helping you prepare suitable soups for hydration and relief.
Registered Chinese Medicine practitioner Dr. Chen Yu-yu (PhD) states that prolonged outdoor exposure in summer easily leads to heatstroke, while staying in air-conditioned rooms can deplete body fluids. The hottest solar term of the year – Great Heat (July 23) – is approaching, marking the onset of extreme heat. Hong Kong's summers are hot and humid; with recent climate changes and rising temperatures, prolonged outdoor exposure can easily cause heatstroke, while frequent air-conditioned environments can deplete Yin fluids, leading to symptoms like dry mouth, restlessness, and poor sleep. Chen suggests that depending on individual constitution, consuming appropriate soups can help regulate the body and relieve summer heat. Common ingredients like lotus leaf, white hyacinth bean, raw barley, dried lily bulb, ophiopogon root, smilax glabra, mung bean, and kelp, when properly combined, all offer heat-clearing and summer-relieving effects.
Detailed Guide to 8 Common Summer Soup Ingredients
1. Lotus Leaf: Reduces Swelling and Lowers Lipids
- Characteristics: Fresh lotus leaves sun-dried or oven-dried; one of the most common summer soup ingredients.
- Properties: Bitter, astringent, neutral in nature.
- Flavor: Natural fresh lotus fragrance, slightly astringent but not bitter.
- Suitable for: Those experiencing dizziness, chest tightness, or heavy sweating in summer heat.
- Contraindications: Those with extreme cold-deficiency constitution, chronic recurrent diarrhea; pregnant women should not consume large amounts long-term.
- Effects: Clears summer heat, resolves dampness, harmonizes the stomach, reduces swelling, and lowers lipids.
- Pairings: Winter melon, barley, watermelon rind, lean meat, duck.
- Price: HK$8/piece.
2. White Hyacinth Bean: Strengthens Spleen and Nourishes Stomach
- Characteristics: Also known as "emperor bean," flat-oval shaped; a spleen-strengthening, stomach-nourishing ingredient neutral in nature.
- Properties: Sweet, slightly warm in nature.
- Flavor: Lightly sweet; becomes powdery and soft when cooked.
- Suitable for: Those with summer-dampness trapping the spleen, heavy limbs, poor appetite, loose stools, or weak digestion (elderly and children).
- Contraindications: Those with severe wind-heat cold or constipation should avoid consuming large amounts alone.
- Effects: Strengthens spleen, resolves dampness, harmonizes the middle, relieves summer heat, and improves deficiency-related diarrhea.
- Pairings: Lotus leaf, poria, small red beans, Chinese yam, pork tendon.
- Price: HK$24/catty.
3. Raw Barley (Coix Seed): Promotes Diuresis and Drains Dampness
- Characteristics: Grayish-white, hard, round small grains.
- Properties: Sweet, bland, cool in nature.
- Flavor: Bland with slight sweetness, chewy texture.
- Suitable for: Those with heavy body, edema, acne, or eczema.
- Contraindications: Pregnant women and those with spleen-stomach cold-deficiency should consume soups containing raw barley in moderation.
- Effects: Clears heat, relieves summer heat, promotes diuresis, drains dampness, strengthens spleen, and reduces swelling.
- Pairings: Winter melon, lily bulb, smilax glabra, duck meat.
- Price: HK$24/catty.
4. Dried Lily Bulb: Calms the Mind and Aids Sleep
- Characteristics: Edible lily is the bulb of the Lilium plant, available fresh or dried; dried lily is pale yellow.
- Properties: Sweet, slightly cold in nature.
- Flavor: Sweet, powdery, and soft.
- Suitable for: Those with restlessness, difficulty sleeping, dry mouth, or throat dryness.
- Contraindications: Those with wind-cold cough, profuse thin phlegm, spleen-stomach cold-deficiency, or prone to bloating and diarrhea.
- Effects: Clears heart heat, relieves summer heat, moistens lungs, generates fluids, calms the mind, and nourishes Yin.
- Pairings: Ophiopogon root, watermelon rind, snow fungus, lean meat.
- Price: HK$114/catty.
5. Ophiopogon Root (Mai Men Dong): Clears Heart Fire and Cools
- Characteristics: Also known as Mai Men Dong; small, tapered at both ends; pale yellow-white surface with irregular fine lines.
- Properties: Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cold in nature.
- Flavor: Sweet, moist with a mild bitterness.
- Suitable for: Those with dry mouth, tongue, or hoarse voice after excessive sweating.
- Contraindications: Those with heavy spleen dampness, frequent bloating with phlegm, or loose stools should avoid long-term consumption.
- Effects: Relieves summer heat, nourishes Yin, generates fluids, moistens dryness, clears heart fire, and soothes the throat.
- Pairings: Lily bulb, watermelon rind, polygonatum, glehnia, lean meat.
- Price: HK$224/catty.
6. Smilax Glabra (Tu Fu Ling): Clears Heat, Detoxifies, and Soothes Skin
- Characteristics: Rough surface, earthy yellow or light brown color.
- Properties: Sweet, bland, neutral in nature.
- Flavor: Bland with slight sweetness.
- Suitable for: Those with eczema or prone to acne.
- Contraindications: Those with chronic constipation or without internal damp-heat should consume in moderation.
- Effects: Clears heat, detoxifies, drains damp-heat, and soothes skin sores.
- Pairings: Barley, winter melon, small red beans, pork bones.
- Price: HK$128/catty.
7. Mung Bean: Promotes Diuresis, Relieves Irritability, and Soothes Heat-Related Skin Itching
- Characteristics: Whole seeds from the legume family; round, plump, hard, and green.
- Properties: Sweet, cool in nature; enters Heart and Stomach meridians.
- Flavor: Sweet and smooth.
- Suitable for: Those with heat, irritability, late nights leading to excess heat, dry mouth, or burning sensation during urination.
- Contraindications: Those with spleen-stomach cold-deficiency prone to diarrhea, frail elderly, and children should not eat too much.
- Effects: Clears summer heat, detoxifies, promotes diuresis, relieves irritability, and soothes heat-related skin itching.
- Pairings: Kelp, winter melon, lotus leaf, ginger, lean meat.
- Price: HK$16/catty.
8. Kelp: Nutrient-Rich Seaweed
- Characteristics: Large brown algae grown in seawater; known as a highly nutritious sea vegetable.
- Properties: Salty, cold in nature; enters Liver, Stomach, and Kidney meridians.
- Flavor: Fresh, sweet with a seawater taste.
- Suitable for: Those with damp-heat and phlegm, slightly elevated blood pressure, or oily facial skin.
- Contraindications: Those with stomach cold prone to diarrhea should eat less; thyroid patients should control intake; pregnant women with cold-deficiency constitution should avoid long-term consumption.
- Effects: Clears heat, promotes diuresis, moistens dryness, and transforms phlegm.
- Pairings: Mung bean, conch meat, lean meat, honey dates, tangerine peel.
- Price: HK$10/pack.
Proper Storage and Handling of Summer Soup Ingredients
Mr. Sum from Rufeng Pharmaceutical Company advises proper storage and handling for maximum effectiveness:
- Most soup ingredients (mung beans, smilax glabra, ophiopogon root, white hyacinth bean, dried lily, raw barley, etc.) do not need hot water soaking or prolonged soaking.
- Briefly rinse with room-temperature water and drain before cooking.
- Best stored in airtight containers placed in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture and mold.
TCM Practitioner's Advice: Who Should Drink Summer Soups?
Chen offers the following guidance:
- Summer soups are suitable for most people.
- For those with cold-deficiency constitution and cold hands/feet, adding 1-2 slices of tangerine peel to cooling soups can effectively neutralize the cold nature, reducing stress on the spleen and stomach.
- Pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses, or those on regular medication should consult a registered TCM practitioner to adjust ingredient amounts for specific soups.
- Soups are for daily wellness and should not replace medical treatment; seek medical attention if discomfort persists.
Author: EH Photos: Sing Tao Daily
