Ginger Tangerine Peel Persimmon Honey Tea

Why people make this tea

Dried persimmon cake (shi bing) is a winter staple in many Chinese households — simply fresh persimmon that has been slowly sun-dried until it develops a sweet white powdery coating. It is milder and more nourishing than fresh persimmon, and is traditionally considered safe even for infants. Combined with the warming power of fresh ginger and the qi-moving ability of tangerine peel, then slow-steamed in honey, this remedy creates a spoonful-at-a-time treatment for cold-pattern coughing and wheezing.

The specific presentation described in this recipe — called “Gongcheng persimmon cake” — comes from Guangxi and is recognisable by its square-shaped stem cap (most others are round or triangular). But any good-quality dried persimmon will work.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited to children and adults with cold-type wheezing or coughing: symptoms such as rapid breathing with audible wheezing, a tight chest, chills, or low-grade fever without sweating
• Particularly child-friendly — the honey taste is appealing and the formula avoids bitter herbs
• If there is no persimmon cake available, substitute with a dried mandarin cake (ju bing) and add walnut meat and almonds for a similar warming effect
• Diabetics must avoid (honey content)
• This formula addresses cold-type respiratory symptoms; if the cough is hot in nature (yellow phlegm, thirst, fever) it is not appropriate — consult a doctor

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warming and pungent; traditionally used to “disperse cold” and release the surface, making it a key herb for cold-pattern respiratory conditions
• Dried tangerine peel (chen pi): Moves qi, transforms phlegm, and supports digestion; widely used in Cantonese food therapy as a gentling and harmonising ingredient
• Dried persimmon cake (shi bing): Neutral to slightly warm; traditionally used to clear heat from the lungs, generate fluids, and stop bleeding; also soothes the throat and assists with phlegm-type coughs
• Raw honey (feng mi): Moistens the lungs, soothes irritated membranes, and makes the whole preparation more palatable; acts as a mild preservative for the steamed mixture

Ingredients (1 small jar / multiple doses)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh ginger	1 liang (~37 g)
Dried tangerine peel (chen pi)	2–3 pieces	Soak briefly to soften before chopping
Dried persimmon cake (shi bing)	1–2 cakes	Gongcheng variety preferred; any good-quality dried persimmon works
Raw honey	Enough to cover	Add after chopping; should submerge the mixture

Method

1. Soak the tangerine peel briefly, then finely chop together with the persimmon cake and fresh ginger.
2. Place the chopped mixture into a small steaming bowl or ceramic pot.
3. Pour in enough raw honey to just cover the surface of the mixture.
4. Steam over water (double-boiler method) for 2 hours.
5. Store in a covered jar.
6. Take 1 tablespoon, 2 times per day, dissolved in warm water. Children take half the adult dose.

Bro Niu’s tips

This honey tea is also helpful for a dry or scratchy throat, mouth ulcers, and hiccups. It can be prepared in a batch and kept in the jar for several days. If you add the honey directly to the steaming pot rather than beforehand, that is also fine — the temperature inside a double boiler stays around 75°C and will not damage the beneficial properties of the honey. Diabetics should avoid this preparation entirely.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader from the UK): There are no persimmon cakes in the UK — what can I substitute? Bro Niu: Is there dried mandarin cake (ju bing) available? If not, for cold-type wheezing you can combine walnut meat (1 liang), almonds (1 liang), 4–5 slices of fresh ginger, and one piece of tangerine peel — simmer together as an alternative.

• Q (reader): Can the honey be added after steaming rather than before? Will the effect be the same? Bro Niu: Yes, you can add the honey after steaming. The temperature inside a double boiler is only about 75°C, so adding it beforehand will not destroy the honey’s beneficial properties either way — both methods are fine.

• Q (Sum): I’ve been feeling emotionally unsettled, sleeping poorly at night, and my temples and brow feel tense and swollen. Even rose flower tea hasn’t helped much. What can I do? Bro Niu: Try a formula with wheat grain (xiao mai mi, 1 liang), poria spirit (fu shen, 1 liang), lily bulb (bai he, 1 liang), roasted licorice (zhi gan cao, 2 qian), and five red dates. Use 8 bowls of water, simmer to 4 bowls, and drink over two days. Repeat for three rounds (six days). This supports liver qi flow and calms the heart-mind.

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Published February 18, 2021 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.