老火湯LO FO TONG

All soups › Damp-dispelling

Old cucumber, corn and black-eyed pea soup with pork shin

老黃瓜粟米眉豆豬展湯
clears heatnourishes yinstrengthens the spleencalms the spiritSummer slow-boiled · 2 hours Not yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

“The pot for damp weather.”

Ingredients

街市Old (mature yellow) cucumber· keep the skin on and remove the seeds; 老黃瓜 leans cold, and the 眉豆 and peanuts balance it1, about 900 g (1.5 catties)
街市Corn / maize (with corn silk)2
百子櫃Black-eyed pea75 g
百子櫃Peanut40 g (1 tael)
街市Pork shin (shank)300 g
百子櫃Candied honey date2
百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel1 piece

Method

  1. Soak and wash the 眉豆 (black-eyed peas) and peanuts. Deseed the 老黃瓜 (old cucumber), keep the skin on and cut it into large pieces. Cut the corn into lengths, silk and all.
  2. Cut the 豬展 (pork shin) into pieces and blanch (飛水, a quick boil to clean off blood and scum).
  3. Bring 2.5 litres of water to a rolling boil over high heat, then add everything.
  4. Once it returns to the boil, turn the heat low and simmer for 2 hours.
  5. Season with salt and it is ready.

Who it suits

  • restless thirst in summer heat

Who should take care

  • people with a cold constitution (寒底) take care
  • pregnant women take care
  • people with gout or high uric acid should drink only a little, long-boiled meat soups are high in purines (general warning across this collection)

Soup stories

For soup you want the fully ripened, yellow-skinned 老黃瓜 rather than a green cucumber. 老黃瓜 comes into season at the end of summer, and it is a regular in the Hong Kong summer soup rotation.

From the same family

Five-finger fig root (hairy fig) and carrot soup with pork ribsA$16–18
五指毛桃紅蘿蔔排骨湯
strengthens the spleenreplenishes qidispels dampnessSpringAll year
百子櫃Hairy fig root· 75 g街市Carrot· 2百子櫃Job's tears / coix seed· 40 g (1 tael)街市Pork spare ribs· 600 g百子櫃Candied honey date· 2百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 1 piece

“The pot for damp weather.”

Winter melon, Job's tears and lotus leaf soup with pork ribsNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
冬瓜薏米荷葉排骨湯
clears heatdispels dampnesspromotes water metabolismSummer
街市Winter melon· 900 g (1.5 catties)百子櫃Job's tears / coix seed· 75 g百子櫃Lotus leaf· half a sheet百子櫃White hyacinth bean· 40 g (1 tael)街市Pork spare ribs· 600 g百子櫃Candied honey date· 2… +1

“The pot for damp weather.”

Black-eyed pea and tangerine peel soup with common carpNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
眉豆陳皮鯉魚湯
strengthens the spleenpromotes water metabolismAll year
百子櫃Common carp· 1, about 300 g or more百子櫃Black-eyed pea· 100 g百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 10 g街市Fresh ginger· 3 slices

“The pot for damp weather.”

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.