Winter Melon Tea is a folk summer beverage that has been passed down for a long time. It is made from winter melon and brown sugar, slowly simmered over low heat for a long time to create a concentrated drink. Winter Melon Tea has a century-old history of consumption in Taiwan and is considered one of Taiwan's three classic chilled drinks, alongside sugarcane juice and herbal tea.

Regarding winter melon, "Qi Min Yao Shu" (Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People)早就记载冬瓜的得名由来: "Winter melon is planted in the second month of winter. If planted in October, the melons grow plump and excellent, even better than those planted in spring. Hence, the name 'winter melon'..." "Guang Qun Fang Pu - Shu Pu - Dong Gua" further states: "Winter melon, also known as white melon, water treasure, and earth treasure." When ripe, winter melons have a "frosty skin," covered with a layer of white frost resembling snow, hence the name "winter melon." In the summer heat, winter melon seems to exist in its own winter, bringing a visual coolness that refreshes those sweating, making one feel cooler just by looking at it. Although winter melon appears clumsy, ancient poets wrote about it, such as Zheng Qingzhi from the Song Dynasty in his poem "Winter Melon": "Trimming yellow flowers after autumn spring, frosty skin and dewy leaves protect its long body. Born lumpy, don't laugh, sir, its belly can hold hundreds." One might sense that Master Zheng compares the winter melon to a prime minister with a broad mind.

【Winter Melon Tea】

Ingredients: Winter melon, brown sugar, rock sugar

Steps:

1. Wash the winter melon, and cut it into small pieces, including the skin, seeds, and flesh;

2. Place a sufficient amount of brown sugar on the winter melon pieces, stir slightly, and let it sit for at least half an hour;

3. Without adding water, cook the winter melon and brown sugar together. You can add a little rock sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer slowly;

4. Simmer for over an hour until the winter melon pieces turn transparent and brown, then turn off the heat;

5. When slightly cooled, strain through cheesecloth, squeezing out as much juice as possible from the winter melon pieces. Bottle and refrigerate;

6. When drinking, take a few spoonfuls of the concentrated winter melon juice and dilute with plain or purified water. Chilled taste is even better.

"Shi Liao Ben Cao" (Dietary Therapy Materia Medica): "Winter melon seeds make the face smooth and clean as jade."

Tang Dynasty medical scholar Meng Shen on the miraculous functions of winter melon:

"Those who wish to be slim and light can eat it regularly; if you want to gain weight, do not eat it."