Sour Plum Drink (Suan Mei Tang - 酸梅汤)

Name: Sour Plum Drink (Suan Mei Tang - 酸梅汤)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 2.5 L water; 50-100 grams dried hawthorn; 30-100 grams dried sour plum; 3-10 grams dried orange peel; 3-10 grams dried licorice root; 10-20 grams dried hibiscus flower/tea; 1-3 grams dried osmanthus flower; 100 grams rock sugar

User Reviews

4.8

30 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings
8
Calories
48 kcal
Course
Drinks
Cuisine
Chinese

Sour Plum Drink (Suan Mei Tang - 酸梅汤)

Quincy Lynch

Report

Before any commercial beverage companies made their way into China, sour plum tea was, and still is, the ultimate thirst quencher––especially in the heat of the summer! The color is a deep magenta and it's deliciously refreshing!

Share:

I Made This!

Be the first!

Print

9 people printed this

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings

2.5 L water (about 10 cups)
50-100 grams dried hawthorn (山楂片)
30-100 grams dried sour plum (乌梅)
3-10 grams dried orange peel (陈皮)
3-10 grams dried licorice root (干草)
10-20 grams dried hibiscus flower/tea (洛神花)
1-3 grams dried osmanthus flower (optional)
100 grams rock sugar (or to taste)

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Rinse all the dried ingredients under running water to get rid of any dirt or debris. In a large pot, combine the water and the dried ingredients (if you like, you can wrap all the dried ingredients in a cheesecloth to avoid the straining step later), and soak for 1 hour.
After soaking, bring everything to a boil, and immediately turn the heat down to low. Simmer (with the lid on) for 45 minutes. Add the rock sugar, let it dissolve completely, and turn off the heat to let the liquid cool.
Once cooled, strain the liquid into a large container, and serve over ice. Remember to store the leftovers in the refrigerator; it will last for 3-4 days. You’ll know that the drink has gone bad if there are air bubbles floating on top and the liquid is opaque instead of clear!