Hawthorn Paste is a long-standing cough remedy in China, known for its effective cough relieving properties. Today, I will share with you the method and precautions for making Hawthorn Paste at home!
【Name】
Hawthorn Paste
【Ingredients】
5 pears, 1 hawthorn (can be purchased at a Chinese medicine store), an appropriate amount of rock sugar, an appropriate amount of ginger slices, 100ml honey
【Preparation Steps】
1. Wash and peel the pears, grate them to obtain pear puree and juice;
2. Put the pear puree and juice in a pot, add rock sugar;
3. Add ginger slices;
4. Crush the hawthorn with your hands and add it to the pot;
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes;
6. Pour out the pear puree, ginger slices, and hawthorn residue from the pot using a cheesecloth or strainer;
7. Pour the filtered juice back into the pot and continue simmering with the lid open;
8. Cook until the juice in the pot starts to thicken. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula until the juice becomes thick and sticky. Turn off the heat;
9. Let it cool to warm temperature, then add honey and stir well. Store in a sealed container. When drinking, take a spoonful and dilute it with warm water.
【Precautions for Taking Hawthorn Paste】
Although Hawthorn Paste is a good remedy for moisturizing the lungs and relieving cough, experts remind us that it should not be consumed as a beverage. Instead, it should be taken according to the individual's condition.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, "dryness evil harms the lungs". Dryness represents the yang evil, which invades the lungs through the mouth and nose, causing the most damage to the lung yin. The ingredients in Hawthorn Paste are mostly for moisturizing and protecting the yin to prevent dryness. For dry cough caused by yin deficiency and lung heat, Hawthorn Paste is particularly effective. However, there are various types of cough, such as cough due to wind-cold, wind-heat, phlegm-dampness, and liver fire. In these cases, taking Hawthorn Paste may not be effective and could even worsen the symptoms.
In addition, traditional Chinese medicine believes that Hawthorn Paste is cool in nature. Therefore, it is not suitable for people with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold, cold hands and feet, or loose stools. It may aggravate the symptoms of deficiency-cold and even cause diarrhea. Even for patients prone to internal heat, dry stools, and cough, it is not recommended to drink excessively and should be consumed in moderation. It is also important to note that Hawthorn Paste has a high sugar content, so it is not suitable for people with diabetes.
Some people believe that the thicker the Hawthorn Paste, the better it is, and some even think that it is best to consume it directly. In fact, Hawthorn Paste has a high sugar content and osmotic pressure, which can stimulate the oral and pharyngeal mucosa when consumed directly. Therefore, consuming it directly is not the best method. It is recommended to take one or two spoonfuls and dilute it with warm water before consumption.
