Pear Soup for Lung Health

Pears are considered a major healing food for the Autumn season in Chinese Medicine. Pears have the quality of clearing heat, moistening and clearing phlegm from the Lungs. Pear Soup is considered helpful to strengthen the Lungs, prevent colds and coughs, and speed up the healing of colds and coughs. Combined with honey, this recipe is soothing for sore throats and dry throats.

Since it has a moistening effect, It is especially good for people with a tendency of dryness such as those with dry sore throat, dry cough, or dry skin. I often recommend it to smokers or those quitting smoking. But really, it’s appropriate for everyone.

Traditionally, the recipe is made with pears cooked in water and sweetened with rock sugar. My recipe is a lot more flavorful with the benefits of creating an immune-boosting poaching liquid made with spices and herbs.

I like to eat this as an after-dinner dessert, but I have also had it as a warm addition to breakfast and as a snack.

Ingredients
2 large or 4 small pears, any variety (I particularly like Bosc pears in this recipe), peeled, cored, and each pear cut into 4 or 6 slices
1 cinnamon stick
2 thin slices of fresh ginger (each ginger piece the size of a quarter coin)
1 vanilla pod
raw local honey, to taste
a squeeze of fresh lemon, to taste
optional herbs: 10 goji berries, 5 pieces of chuan bei mu (fritillary bulb), 1 slice of dried astragalus

Bring pears, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and optional herbs to a boil in 4 cups of water (or a little more water if needed, use enough water to cover the pears). Reduce heat and simmer on medium low, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Serve in individual bowls. Each serving should have slices of pear and the cooking liquid served warm or cool.  (Before serving, discard the cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. The optional herbs can be separated out as well, but some people enjoy eating them, especially the goji berries- just be careful not to burn your tongue because the goji berries can get very hot!).)

Add honey to sweeten to taste. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste.

Store the liquid, fruit and spices in a glass storage container in the refrigerator. Keeps for about 3 days.

Got a cough? Maybe try some pears

So Saturday morning in clinic and I am treating the 5th or is it 6th post cold sinus congestion and cough! Today has inspired me to share the simple Chinese wisdom of PEARS! After you have been through the worst phases, and maybe even a course or two of antibiotics or herbal treatments, you are left with a cough that you can’t seem to shake. So here is a simple tip that may assist in reducing the duration of your lingering cough.

 

Pears in Chinese Medicine

 

In traditional Chinese Medical dietary therapy the simple pears have a Sweet, slightly sour, cool property. They can influence the lung and stomach which could depending on cooking clear fever and resolve phlegm, promote the secretion of body fluid and relieve thirst. Making Pears a great dietary addition to help resolve the linger cough, so how to cook;

 

Dry cough with minimal phlegm | Brown pears with honey then bake

Clear or white phlegm | Peel pear, brown with sugar then stew

Yellow phlegm | Keep peal on, brown with sugar and stew

 

For more ideas see my two favourite pear recipes below;

 

Spiced pears

 

Ingredients; 

2 pears, sliced (check above if you should peel or not

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