Mung bean — Lo Fo Tong 老火湯

Mung bean

綠豆

clears heatcools internal fire消暑promotes water metabolism解毒

The small green dried seed of the mung bean (Vigna radiata), sold whole in bags as an everyday pantry pulse. It needs no long soaking, boils down to a soft sandy texture, and brings a clean, cooling character that offsets rich or warming ingredients in pots like lotus root and dried octopus soup.

TCM properties

Nature · cold　Flavour · sweet　Meridians · heart、stomach

Traditional food therapy

In Cantonese food therapy mung bean is used to clear heat, relieve summer swelter and promote water flow; its cooling nature is traditionally relied on to balance richer tonic soups.

Cautions — read first

Eat sparingly if your spleen and stomach run cold and weak or you loosen easily; if your stomach runs cold, use adzuki bean (紅豆) instead when making lotus root and octopus soup.
Not to be taken in quantity alongside warming tonic Chinese medicine (folk wording holds that mung bean cancels the medicine).
People with gout should take care (beans are high in purines; the whole pot of lotus root, octopus and mung bean soup is off the list for gout).

Preparation

Just rinse; no long soak needed.

Origin

華北及中原廣泛種植 — Australia is itself a major mung bean grower and exporter (Queensland), so AU supply is often local

Availability in Australia

Common at Asian grocers

Pairs well with

Lotus root Dried octopus Pork bones (femur / blade)Aged dried tangerine peel

Soups that use this ingredient · 1

Lotus root, dried octopus and mung bean soup with pork bonesNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

蓮藕章魚綠豆豬骨湯

replenishes qinourishes bloodstrengthens the spleenAutumnWinterAll year

街市Lotus root· 1 root, about 600 g (1 catty)百子櫃Dried octopus· 3百子櫃Mung bean· 60 g街市Pork bones (femur / blade)· 800 g百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 1 piece百子櫃Candied honey date· 3

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”