Ginger & Pear Water with Honey

Why people make this drink

This simple two-ingredient drink has a long track record in Chinese home kitchens for easing a ticklish throat or a cold-induced cough. Snow pear (xue li) has been used for centuries to moisten the lungs and generate fluids; ginger is warming and helps the body clear cold. Together they offer a balanced approach — the pear moderates ginger’s heat, the ginger counters pear’s cooling energy. Ginger also contains gingerols and other phenolic and flavonoid compounds, and modern research has found that these reduce levels of cyclo-oxygenase (an enzyme involved in inflammation) — giving this traditional pairing genuine scientific grounding.

Method

1. Wash the snow pear, leaving the skin on. Remove the core and cut into chunks.
2. Combine the ginger slices and pear chunks in a pot with 1.2 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm (below 40°C).
5. Stir in a small amount of honey and serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Drink this warm, 2–3 days in a row is usually sufficient to ease a cold-type or dry cough. Keeping the pear skin on adds extra fibre and flavour. Do not add honey to a boiling or very hot drink — let it cool first. If your cough is accompanied by a sore throat and yellowish phlegm, it may be a heat-type cough; consult your practitioner or doctor for appropriate guidance.