Pseudostellaria, apple & red date drink
Gentle pseudostellaria root simmered with apple and red dates into a naturally sweet, sugar-free drink — suitable for adults and children alike as the seasons change.
- 55 min
- Serves 4
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: A Special (allergic) constitution reacts easily to seasonal change, with sneezing, nasal allergies or itchy skin. The wide day–night temperature swings of Frost's Descent are a common trigger. Pseudostellaria builds qi without heating, apple moistens the lungs and red dates support digestion — a gentle drink free of common allergens that children can have too.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 45 min- 1Rinse the pseudostellaria and figs. Pit the red dates, then wash and core the apples and cut into large chunks, skin on.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add everything and boil for 10 minutes.
- 3Simmer over low heat for 35 minutes. No sugar is needed — drink warm, and eat the apple and dates too.
Cautions
- Pause while you have a cold or fever. If apple makes your mouth itch (a pollen-food allergy), use snow pear instead.
Chef's tips
- Pseudostellaria is sold at Chinese herbal shops — choose plump, pale yellow roots. Simmering the apples with their skins on gives a sweeter drink.
The TCM view
Pseudostellaria is sweet, slightly bitter and neutral, building qi, strengthening the spleen and moistening the lungs — a mild tonic that doesn't overheat. Apple is sweet, sour and cool, generating fluids and moistening the lungs. Red dates are sweet and warm and tonify the middle; dried figs are sweet and neutral and soothe the throat. Sweet and neutral, it gently supports the lungs and spleen.
