Winter Melon
*
ChChinese Barley
*
Good morning, dear friends 
These few weeks, the weather has been very hazy and extremely hot in Kuala lumpur. This situation brought to my mind this recipe given to me by my healer friend in year 2005 when we experienced the worst haze ever, when schools and offices had to be closed in the Klang Valley.
During that time, the symptoms that we had were “foggy” brains/mind (we can’t seem to think well, hehe – maybe from not enough oxygen to the brain?), forgetfulness, body heatiness and lethargy/no energy.
She gave me me this recipe which was handed down by her grandmother (so, it must be a 100-years old recipe, as the healer is in her 50’s) but she spoke to me in Cantonese, so I’ll try my best to translate here.
Ingredients :-
- Cleaned flesh from 1 small wintermelon
- 1 cup (or RM 1 mixed Chinese barley (“sang sook yee mai” in Cantonese), or normal barley
- 1/2 cup dried mandarin orange peel (homemade or buy from Chinese Medical Hall)
- 1/2 kg pork spare ribs (or pork lean meat)
- 4 litres water
Method – Bring all ingredients to a boil, lower heat to small and simmer for 3 hours. Add seasoning to taste. You can serve this nutritious soup with your dinner.
This soup helps to clear our body systems from the pollutants and dry heat in the weather. Personally, I added 1 cup of red dates for fragrance. Now that the haze is back, I will go to the farmer’s market (pasar malam) this evening to buy the ingredients and my family will be having this soup tomorrow.
With best wishes for good health,
choesf 
louise said,
June 6, 2009 @ 5:52 am
Hi choesf,
Oh how I wish I had these ingredients on hand. Although, it isn’t a hazy day in New York, it just won’t seem to stop raining, days and days of rain. A perfect soup for a rainy day too I hope.
happyhomemaker88 said,
June 6, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Hi there, dear Louise
Wow, it is your turn now to get lots and lots of rain. Any hot soup would taste good on a rainy day! Here in Malaysia, we are experiencing some rain and lots of heat and humidity.
Do have a wonderful weekend!
With best wishes,
choesf