Beat the haze with three recipes for tasty herbal brews
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Chinese Pear And Snow Fungus Soup.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
- Three herbal brews are recommended to soothe coughs and moisturise lungs during haze and heat, suitable for adults and children over five with dosage guidelines.
- The Chinese pear and snow fungus soup helps soothe dry throats, while a detox and immunity-boosting tea uses honeysuckle and dandelion to aid lung health.
- A heat-dispelling tea with prunella spike, chrysanthemum flowers, and monk fruit is advised to be taken twice weekly after meals for cooling effects and natural sweetness.
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SINGAPORE – Scratchy throat or coughing because of the polluted air? Hazy conditions have plagued Singapore for more than a week since Sept 4.
Chinese physician Cheong Chin Siong, 52, who runs Bao Chun Tang TCM Health at Fortune Centre in Middle Road, shares three herbal concoctions to help moisturise the lungs and boost immunity. Even without the haze, these concoctions are good for dispelling heat.
They are meant for adults without health issues and are not advisable for pregnant women. Children above the age of five can consume up to 250ml (a cup) a day, while adults can have two to three cups a day. Best taken after meals.
Chinese Pear And Snow Fungus Soup
The Chinese pear and snow fungus soup is traditionally used in TCM to moisturise the lungs and soothe a dry throat and cough.
Ingredients
1 piece dried snow fungus (35g)
1 fresh Chinese pear (425g)
1.4 litres water
2 sugared flattened tangerines (50g), rinsed
1 honey date (25g)
2 pieces dried tangerine peel (0.5g)
1 Tbs nan bei xing (Chinese apricot kernels, 10g)
1 Tbs chuan bei (fritillaria)
3 large red dates, halved and pits removed (33g)
20g honey rock sugar (optional)
Method
1. Soak the snow fungus for at least 30 minutes. It should be fully immersed in water. Soak it overnight if you prefer it softer in texture when cooked. Use a pair of scissors to remove the tough stem endings.
2. Rinse the snow fungus and place it in a colander to drain excess water. Set aside.
3. Peel the pear, remove the seeds, slice into eight sections and set aside.
4. Pour the water and all the ingredients into a pot.
5. For stove-top cooking, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1hr 30min. If using a slow cooker, turn the heat to high and boil for two hours.
6. Optional: If you prefer the soup to be sweet, add 20g of honey rock sugar.
Serves 2 to 3
Detox And Immunity-Boosting Tea Detox And Immunity-boosting Tea
Detox And Immunity-boosting Tea.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
This tea contains jin yin hua (honeysuckle), which are the dried flower buds of the Lonicera japonica, believed to have detoxifying properties. But the 2012 book, Your Guide To Health With Foods & Herbs, by TCM academics Zhang Yifang and Yao Yingzhi, cautions that those who have weak constitutions, especially stomach issues, should avoid honeysuckle.
Another addition, pu gong ying (dandelion), is believed to help dispel heat and aid detoxification. The recipe also contains bei qi (astragalus root), said to tonify the lungs and boost immunity; as well as dried mandarin orange peel, said to help in strengthening the stomach.
Ingredients
Detox And Immunity-boosting Tea.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
20g pu gong ying (dandelion)
10g jin yin hua (honeysuckle)
10g bei qi (astragalus root)
8g gan cao (licorice root)
5g chen pi (dried mandarin orange peel)
1.5 litres of water
Method
1. Rinse all the ingredients twice and place in a colander or sieve to remove excess water.
2. Place the ingredients in a pot.
3. Add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the tea to cool before drinking.
Serves two to three
Heat-dispelling Tea
Heat Dispelling Tea.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
This tea features xia gu cao (prunella spike) and dried chrysanthemum flowers – both of which are used in TCM to dispel heat. The concoction is palatable because of the addition of luohan guo (monk fruit), which lends a natural sweetness without the calories. Take this twice a week after meals.
Ingredients
2 large luohan guo (monk fruit, 70g)
20g xia gu cao (prunella spike)
50g dried chrysanthemum flowers
8g gan cao (licorice root)
10g jin yin hua (honeysuckle)
3 pieces of sang ye (mulberry leaf)
2 litres of water
Method
1. Break the luohan guo into small pieces.
2. Rinse the xia gu cao thoroughly.
3. Rinse the dried chrysanthemum flowers, gan cao, jin yin hua and sang ye thoroughly.
4. Place all the ingredients and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Allow tea to steep and cool before serving.
Serves four