Hawthorn Berry and Pear Drink

Why people make this drink

When fresh hawthorn berries appear in the market — small, red, and glossy — Nourilo never passes them by. They are sour rather than sweet and not everyone’s favourite snack, but their traditional food-therapy value is considerable. Hawthorn is well known in Chinese food medicine for supporting healthy digestion and blood circulation. Paired with juicy pear, which nourishes and moistens, the resulting drink is pleasantly tangy and refreshing — good for the body and easy to enjoy.

Method

1. Wash the hawthorn berries and slice them.
2. Wash the pears (keep skin on), core them, and cut into strips.
3. Place hawthorn and pear in a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
4. Stir in rock sugar (or brown sugar) and dissolve over low heat.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nourilo’s Tips

This sweet-sour drink is pleasant for most people and can be enjoyed regularly. It is traditionally considered helpful for those managing high blood pressure, high blood lipids, or coronary heart disease. Women with irregular or sluggish periods should swap the rock sugar for brown sugar, as it has a warmer, more invigorating character. Pregnant women should not have this drink. Those prone to excess stomach acid should take it after meals rather than on an empty stomach.