Steamed Pears for Winter Coughs
- Posted on: Dec 24 2019
‘Tis the season for coughs and sniffles. Colder temperatures, blasting dry heat and sick kiddos can lead to winter coughs. If you or your family members develop one of those lingering coughs, try this traditional Chinese recipe for steamed pears.
Ingredients:
2 Asian Pears
1.5 Tablespoons Rock Sugar (If rock sugar isn’t available consider a natural sweetener as an alternative such as honey)
1 Tablespoon Dried Goji berries
Directions:
Cut off the top part of the pears (about 1/5 to 1/4 of the total height). Use a teaspoon to remove the cores. Fill the holes with rock sugar and half of the Goji berries. Put the top part back (you can use toothpicks to stabilize the two parts) then put the pears vertically into 2 small bowls. Sprinkle the remaining Goji berries around the pears. Steam on medium heat for about 40 minutes. If the cough is mild it may only take one servicing to resolve. If the cough is more severe you may consider one serving a day for 3-5 days. (Recipe taken from www.redhousespice.com)
Chinese pear is known for it’s medicinal abilities to calm coughs, moisten the lungs and eliminate phlegm. Chinese pear is different from European pears. It has a yellow and brown speckled skin, that is smooth and it comes in a variety of shapes including pear shape or apple shape. The rock sugar makes the pear sweet and a delicious way to treat a child’s cough. Rock sugar is known to benefit the lung and eliminate phlegm, as well. When Asian Pear is cooked with rock sugar the pear becomes translucent and turns from crispy to soft.
**Please note there are many variations on this recipe including but not limited to boiling instead of steaming and the inclusion of jujubes (Chinese Dates) or Sichuan Fritillaria (Chuan Bei)**
Posted in: Acupuncture
