Currently in the late dog days of summer, though we're between the start of autumn and the end of heat, Lingnan still retains lingering summer heat—hence the "autumn tiger" phenomenon. Continue focusing on cooling the body, strengthening the spleen, nourishing yin, and promoting diuresis. Consume more foods that clear heat, dispel dampness, and harmonize the spleen and stomach. Opt for dishes that are "light, flavorful, and non-greasy" for optimal results.Fresh vegetables and fruits like winter melon, cucumber, loofah, and tomatoes are excellent choices. Today's recommended soup is American Ginseng and Winter Melon Stewed with Duck.
Recommended by: Clinical Nutrition Department, Guangdong Provincial Hospital
Primary Benefits: Clears heat, relieves summer heat, boosts qi, and generates fluids.
Suitable for: Individuals experiencing summer heat symptoms like dry mouth, bitter taste, irritability, aversion to heat, difficulty urinating, or summer dampness/heat discomfort.
Ingredients: 10g American ginseng slices, 20g dendrobium, 20g ophiopogon, 500g winter melon, 30g mung beans, half a domestic duck (serves 3-4).
Preparation Method: Soak mung beans for 2 hours in advance. Rinse American ginseng, dendrobium, and ophiopogon, then soak briefly. Wash winter melon and cut into chunks with skin on. Clean the duck, remove innards, and cut into chunks (can be blanched first).Place all prepared ingredients into an earthenware pot. Add 2000ml of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour. Season with salt to taste before serving.
Soup Commentary: This American Ginseng, Winter Melon, and Duck Soup is adapted from the "Summer Heat Clearing and Qi-Boosting Decoction" in the ancient Chinese medical text "Warmth and Heat Classics." This simplified version serves as a therapeutic recipe. The American ginseng in the soup is cold in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste. It functions to clear heat, generate fluids, boost qi, and nourish the stomach, making it an excellent mildly nourishing tonic.Dendrobium, slightly cold in nature and sweet in taste, enters the lung and stomach meridians to clear heat, generate fluids, nourish the stomach, and harmonize yin. Ophiopogon nourishes yin, moistens the lungs, benefits the stomach, generates fluids, and clears the heart to relieve restlessness, making it a common summer-autumn medicinal ingredient.Combined with mung beans (which strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness) and winter melon (which reduces swelling and promotes urination), these three ingredients create a soup with a refreshingly moist and savory flavor. Beyond its heat-clearing and summer-heat-relieving effects, it further boosts qi and generates fluids, making it ideal for consumption during this late summer period.