Herbal Teas
Watermelon Rind & Mung Bean Drink (Guapi Lüdou Yin)
Watermelon Rind & Mung Bean Drink is a classic summer heat-clearing beverage rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine dietary therapy. Watermelon rind, known in TCM as “Xigua Cuiyi” (watermelon green garment), is recorded in the Ming Dynasty Compendium of Materia Medica: “Watermelon rind is sweet, cool, and non-toxic; for mouth, tongue, and lip sores, burn and grind it, then hold it in the mouth.” Mung beans are cool in nature and sweet in taste, known for clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving summer heat, and quenching thirst. Combining watermelon rind with mung beans removes the bean’s raw smell, makes the aroma more refreshing, and creates a synergistic effect. The drink is clear, fragrant, and mildly sweet-cool – especially suitable for summer heat with thirst, difficult urination, edema, and acne.
Main Ingredients
- Watermelon rind 200-500g
- Mung beans 100g
- Dried tangerine peel (Chenpi) 1 small piece
- Rock sugar to taste
Steps
Remove the red flesh from 150g of watermelon rind and cut into pieces; rinse 100g of mung beans.
Place both in a pot with cold water and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, add rock sugar, and serve.
TCM Notes
Watermelon Rind (Xigua Cuiyi) : Sweet in taste, cool (or cold) in nature; enters the Heart and Stomach meridians. Known for clearing summer heat, relieving irritability, quenching thirst, and promoting diuresis. Contains a special active substance – citrulline – which has diuretic, brain-refreshing, immunity-regulating, joint function-maintaining, and blood sugar-balancing effects. Rich in vitamins that scavenge free radicals and support skin health and anti-aging. Mung Beans: Sweet in taste, cool in nature; enter the Heart and Stomach meridians. Known for clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving summer heat, and quenching thirst. Contains protein, phospholipids, and enzymes that support nerve function, appetite, and lipid metabolism. Synergistic Effect: Watermelon rind is sweet and cold, clearing summer heat and quenching thirst; mung beans are sweet and cool, reducing swelling and detoxifying. Together, they help improve skin boils and acne. This drink is very low in calories and rich in water, potassium, and vitamins – a refreshing summer beverage.
Suitable for：Those with summer heat, thirst, dry mouth, and sore throat Those with scanty dark urine and edema Those with summer acne and skin boils (adjunctive support) Long-term outdoor workers (relieving heat damage) Those with damp-heat constitution (regulating internal dampness) General population for summer heat relief and prevention
Not suitable for：Those with Spleen-Stomach Cold Deficiency – both watermelon rind and mung beans are cooling in nature; may cause abdominal pain and diarrhea Those with loose stools or diarrhea – may worsen symptoms Those with yang deficiency, cold limbs, or cold intolerance – cooling foods may damage yang qi Those in post-illness or postpartum recovery – cooling nature may affect recovery Pregnant women – watermelon and mung beans are considered too cooling; consult a doctor before consuming Women during menstruation – may worsen menstrual pain or impede flow Diabetes patients – strictly control or omit sugar Those allergic to watermelon rind or mung beans
