Double-boiled Asian pear with snow fungus
Silky, gelatinous snow fungus and juicy Asian pear, gently double-boiled and finished with honey — soothing for a dry autumn throat.
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves 2
- Double-boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency already brings a dry mouth and warm palms, and with autumn dryness at its peak at Autumn Equinox, throats turn scratchy. Snow fungus and pear nourish yin and moisten the lungs, honey eases dryness, and slow double-boiling keeps it gentle — an ideal afternoon cup.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 60 min- 1Soak the snow fungus in water for 20 minutes until soft, trim off the hard yellow base and tear into small florets.
- 2Wash the pears, core them and cut into large chunks, skin on — the skin makes it more moistening.
- 3Put the snow fungus and pear in a double-boiling pot, add the hot water, cover and double-boil over medium heat for 1 hour, until the fungus is silky and gelatinous.
- 4Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly before stirring in the honey. Pour into a flask and sip slowly in the afternoon.
Cautions
- Pear is cooling — eat less if your digestion runs cold, you get loose stools, or you have a cough with thin white phlegm.
Chef's tips
- Make it the night before and keep it in the fridge; bring it back to the boil in the morning before filling your flask — don't eat it cold.
- Short of time? Simmer it in a pot over low heat for 40 minutes instead; the fungus still turns silky.
The TCM view
Snow fungus is sweet, bland and neutral and nourishes yin, the lungs and the stomach; Asian pear is sweet, slightly sour and cool, clearing heat and moistening the lungs; honey is sweet and neutral and moistens the lungs and intestines. Sweet, moistening and slightly cool overall, slow double-boiling calms deficient heat without being too cold — right for dryness that has worn down yin.
