Asian pear, water chestnut & imperata root drink
A clear, naturally sweet drink of Asian pear, water chestnut and imperata root — no sugar, clears heat and damp and soothes autumn dryness.
- 45 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-Heat shows up as spots, a bitter taste and dark urine. Cold Dew air is dry, yet Hong Kong afternoons still reach 27–28°C; water chestnut and imperata root clear heat and drain damp, pear eases dryness, and with no sugar nothing feeds the damp.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 35 min- 1Scrub the water chestnuts, peel them and crack them open. Core the pear and cut into chunks. Rinse the imperata root and tangerine peel, and snip the root into short lengths.
- 2Put everything in 1 litre water, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- 3No sugar needed. Strain into a flask; scoop out the water chestnuts and pear to eat as a snack.
Cautions
- This drink is cold in nature; go easy if your digestion runs cold, or you have loose stools or period pain.
Chef's tips
- Wet markets sell bundles of sugar cane and imperata root, as well as water chestnuts. Using dried imperata root? Halve it to 15 g.
The TCM view
Asian pear is sweet, slightly sour and cool and moistens the lungs; water chestnut is sweet and cold, clears heat, creates fluids and drains damp; imperata root is sweet and cold, clears heat and promotes urination. A little aged tangerine peel, pungent and warm, moves qi and protects the stomach. Cooling and moistening — it clears damp-heat and soothes dryness without chilling digestion.
