Winter melon & lotus leaf tea
Winter melon simmered skin and all with lotus leaf and tangerine peel — a fragrant, sugar-free brew that eases summer heat and damp.
- 45 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness struggles with humidity, and the hot, rainy start of summer brings heaviness and puffiness. Winter melon drains water and lotus leaf resolves damp, while tangerine peel and ginger support digestion — sugar-free and drunk warm, so it is gentle on the spleen.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 35 min- 1Wash the winter melon and cut it into large chunks, keeping the skin and seeds. Rinse and snip the lotus leaf; soak the tangerine peel and scrape off the pith.
- 2Put everything in a pot with 1.2 litres of water, bring to the boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- 3Strain, add no sugar, and pour into a flask while warm to sip as your afternoon tea.
Cautions
- If you are very slim, have low blood pressure or are pregnant, don't drink it every day like water.
Chef's tips
- Buy dried lotus leaf at a herbal or dried-goods shop. Make a big batch and keep it in the fridge, but reheat it before drinking — never drink it cold.
The TCM view
Winter melon is sweet, bland and cool; it drains water and clears phlegm and heat, and the skin drains more strongly still. Lotus leaf is bitter and neutral; it clears summer heat, resolves damp and lifts clear yang. Aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm and dries damp; ginger warms the stomach to balance the melon. Light and close to neutral — it clears damp without chilling.
