Watermelon rind & bamboo leaf tea
Don't throw away the rind! Simmered with lophatherum (bamboo leaf herb), it makes a light tea that cools heart fire and drains summer damp.
- 35 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-Heat often shows at Start of Summer as a bitter taste, oily skin and dark urine. Watermelon rind clears summer heat and promotes urination, and lophatherum cools heart fire and eases restlessness, carrying damp-heat out — light and completely grease-free.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min- 1Scrub the watermelon rind well under running water, trim off any leftover red flesh, and cut the green skin and white rind into strips.
- 2Rinse the lophatherum and bring it to the boil with the rind and 1.2 litres of water, then simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- 3Strain and add a little rock sugar if you like. Drink at room temperature or warm — not chilled.
Cautions
- Cold in nature: skip it if your digestion runs cold, you get loose stools, or you are pregnant.
Chef's tips
- Keep the red flesh as a snack — one or two pieces at room temperature is plenty; skip fridge-cold watermelon.
The TCM view
Watermelon rind is sweet and cool; it clears summer heat, eases thirst and promotes urination. Lophatherum is sweet, bland and cold and enters the heart and small intestine channels, clearing heart fire and draining it through the urine. The heart and small intestine are paired, so clearing one helps the other — a good match for damp-heat at the start of summer.
