Dried Persimmon and Fresh Lily Bulb Sweet Soup

Why people make this sweet soup

In Cantonese food therapy, fresh persimmons are generally considered rather cooling and a little astringent — something most grandmothers will tell you to eat carefully. The dried form, however, is a different story. Dried persimmon cake (shi bing) goes through a transformation that makes it gentler and more nourishing. It is traditionally associated with moistening the lungs, helping the heart and blood vessels, and supporting the body in times of dry, persistent coughs or throat discomfort. Pairing it with fresh lily bulb — which is prized for its calm, slightly cooling, lung-moistening qualities — makes a simple sweet soup that Nourilo recommends for anyone dealing with a cough that just won’t fully go away, a scratchy throat, or little mouth sores brought on by dryness.