Pear and rock sugar soup
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1. About this recipe
Pear and rock sugar soup — xue li tang, literally 'snow pear soup' — is the most traditional Chinese kitchen remedy for autumn dryness and dry cough. The pear is cool and moistening, particularly suited to the Lung; rock sugar harmonises and adds gentle moistening sweetness; optional white fungus and lily bulb amplify the Lung-yin nourishing effect.
2. Ingredients
- 2 firm pears (Asian pear / nashi pear is traditional, but conference or comice work)
- 20–30g rock sugar
- 10g dried white fungus (silver tree fungus / yin er) — optional
- 10g lily bulb (bai he) — optional
- 2 slices fresh ginger (optional, for cold cough)
- 500ml water
3. Method
- If using white fungus and lily bulb, soak in cold water for 30 minutes to rehydrate; trim away tough yellow base of fungus.
- Wash, peel and core the pears; cut into chunks.
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan with 500ml water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 30–40 minutes (longer if using white fungus).
- Serve warm, eating the pear pieces and drinking the syrup.
4. Variations
- For dry sore throat or hoarseness: add 5–6 dried apricot kernels.
- For productive yellow phlegm: add 5g chuan bei mu (Fritillaria) — pharmaceutical grade.
- Steamed pear version: hollow the core, fill with rock sugar, optional ginger; steam for 30 minutes — an even gentler preparation.
5. When to eat it
Drink one bowl daily during autumn dryness, dry cough or hoarseness. Particularly suited to dry, hacking, unproductive coughs that worsen at night and dryness that comes on with autumn weather. Avoid in damp coughs with copious clear or white phlegm (the pear's cool, moistening nature worsens damp). Avoid in cold-pattern diarrhoea or weak digestion.
