Home-Style Dishes
Rock-Sugar Wampee Preserve
Traditionally used to aid digestion, promote saliva, and soothe the throat
Why people make this preserve
Wampee comes into season only briefly. The lighter-skinned, plump fruit is the sweetest; this batch turned out quite tart but wonderfully appetite-rousing. Bro Niu likes to turn the extra fruit into a rock-sugar jam — a spoonful stirred into warm water makes a pleasant drink traditionally associated with aiding digestion, promoting saliva, and easing a phlegmy cough.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People who feel full and bloated after eating, those with an overused or scratchy throat, and anyone with a phlegmy cough or wheeze who enjoys a sweet, sour-tart warm drink in summer.
- This is a sugary preserve — use sparingly if you are watching your sugar intake. If symptoms persist, please see a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Wampee fruit (huang pi): Tart and aromatic; traditionally associated with relieving food stagnation, settling the stomach, promoting fluids, and easing cough.
- Yellow rock sugar (huang bing tang): Preserves the fruit and mellows its tartness into a soothing, sweet syrup.
Ingredients (1 jar)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wampee (huang pi) | ~900 g (1.5 jin) | Stoned |
| Yellow rock sugar (huang bing tang) | ~600 g (1 jin) |
Method
- Soak the wampee in lightly salted water for 15 minutes, then rinse and remove the stones.
- Put the fruit into a clay or glass pot with half a cup of water.
- Cook over low heat until the juice thickens to a syrup.
- Store in a clean glass jar. To use, stir 1 tablespoon into warm water.
Bro Niu’s tips
Rock-sugar wampee is delicious and refreshing in summer. It is especially good for people who use their voice a lot, and for those with bloating and stomach discomfort from over-eating or a phlegmy, wheezy cough. The stems, leaves and stones also have value — simmered as a tea they are traditionally used for colds, stomach ache and period pain.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (reader): How long can rock-sugar wampee keep in the fridge? Bro Niu: At least half a year.
Published July 10, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
