Dong Gua Pi (Benincasa hispida) — Dried Winter Melon Peel, Food-Herb Cut Pieces for Tea & Soup

Dong Gua Pi (Benincasa hispida) is the dried, washed rind of the winter melon, a traditional food herb known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Dōng Guā Pí (冬瓜皮). Long prized as a gentle, dampness-transforming ingredient, winter melon peel has been used in soups, teas, and seasonal broths to support the body's natural fluid balance. Its nature is sweet and slightly cold, making it a mild yet refreshing herb for cooling and lightening heavy, humid conditions.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional dampness-transforming food herb
• Washed and cut dried winter melon peel
• Benincasa hispida rind pieces
• Suitable for tea, soup, and congee
• New-crop, clean quality from Anhui

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is carefully washed, cut, and dried to preserve its pale green to light tan color, thin papery texture, and faint fresh melon aroma. When simmered, the pieces soften and release a mild, subtly sweet and grassy flavor, adding a light, clean body to broths and infusions without overpowering other ingredients.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Chinese-style soup and broth
• Herbal tea blends
• Congee and grain porridge
• Seasonal damp-weather cooking
• Soup-pack ingredient

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Dong Gua Pi is decocted into soups, congee, and light broths to support daily balance during humid seasons. It is a common ingredient in summer soup packs, where it pairs with ingredients like job's tears (yi mi), red bean, and lotus leaf. As a tea, it is brewed alone or blended with other gentle herbs for a light, mildly sweet infusion.

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