Dry Cough Pear & Sugar Home Remedy

The magical cough home remedy. All you need is water, pears, preferably asian pears, and sugar or honey.

In direct translation from Chinese classical texts, steam pears with rock sugar have the benefits of to reduce phlegm, clear heat, moisten the lung, and cool the heart. To put this in the modern context, steam pears with rock sugar can help to reduce swollen throat, smooth irritation at throat, reduce cough (especially loud ones), prevent dehydration of respiratory tract, clear phlegm, and reduce fever. In one sentence, it is good for cough with phlegm from common cold or allergy/irritation.

General guideline for reference:

1 pear
3 to 8 clear rock sugar or 5g to 10g yellow rock sugar (I once saw a recipe of 40g rock sugar, so you can be your judge on how sweet you want this pear to be.)

Here are the steps to make steam pears with rock sugar:

Skin the pear. Cut the top of the pear off, and dig out the seeds. Save the top part as it will serve as the lid in the next step.
Put the bottom part of the pear in a bowl. Then place rock sugar in the whole at the center, and place the top part of the pear back. (note: you can use toothpick to hold this two pieces of pear together.)
Place the bowl with pear in a steamer and steam for 8 to 15 minutes. It is ready when you see the color of pear is slightly transparent.

This dish can be served anytime throughout the day. You should eat the whole pear and drink the soup that is generated in the cooking process.

For more in depth details and recipe alternatives, click here