Sour Plum Drink: Recipe for Summer Freshness

Sour plum drink is China’s most traditional summer heat relief. Its sour-sweet flavour quenches thirst, while its nature clears internal heat and reduces dryness. Damp-removing sour plum drink is composed of ebony plums, hawthorn, tangerine peel, and licorice. This recipe also contains lotus leaf, poria mushrooms, and osmanthus for flavour, skin nourishment, and the dispelling of dampness.

Sour Plum Drink: Recipe for Summer Freshness (serves 6-8 persons)

Ingredients:

10 ebony plums (can substitute preserved plums)

100g dried hawthorn

5g tangerine peel

3g licorice

2g lotus leaf

2g poria mushrooms

2g dried osmanthus flowers

200g rock sugar

2½ litres water

Instructions:

1. Soak ebony plums in warm water for one hour.

2. Soak dried hawthorn, tangerine peel, licorice, 

    lotus leaf, and poria in water at room temperature 

    for 5 minutes.

3. Remove all ingredients and rinse with clean water.

4. Boil 2½ litres of water (use stainless steel pot or clay 

    pot, not aluminum or iron). 

5. Combine all washed ingredients, and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Add rock sugar and cook for another 15 minutes, 

    turn off heat, let cool.

7. Strain the drink with a fine mesh.

8. Sprinkle dried osmanthus flowers on top before serving.

Note: The flavour is better when chilled.

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