Chinese drink · Hawthorn & dried tangerine peel
Dried hawthorn, tangerine peel and separately purchased food-grade smoked sour plums are soaked and simmered into a tart-sweet drink, served warm or chilled.
Times are estimates and include soaking and preparation; some tasks can overlap. Check hydration and doneness as described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
The shop currently has no wumei product, so buy dried smoked sour plums clearly sold for food use. Do not substitute salted snack plums, sweetened preserved plums or a medicinal-grade product. Weigh the hawthorn, peel and plums, pick over and rinse briefly, discarding the rinse water. Check for visible hawthorn seeds and plum stones; these must not be left as edible pieces in the finished glasses.
Put the dried ingredients in a clean saucepan or roomy bowl, cover with 1.5 litres drinking water and soak, covered, for about 60 minutes so they hydrate. Refrigerate at 5°C or below if the soak is extended or preparation is interrupted. This fresh soaking water will be boiled in the next step; it is not a cold-brewed drink.
Bring the dried ingredients and soaking water to the boil. Reduce to a steady gentle simmer with the lid slightly ajar for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and add a little hot drinking water if too much evaporates. Do not boil dry. Use only 3 g peel to avoid overpowering bitterness.
Add 40 g rock sugar and stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat. Strain through a heat-safe fine sieve into a clean heat-safe jug, discarding the spent ingredients, seeds and stones. Do not crush plum stones. If fine sediment remains, let it settle briefly and decant the clear liquid. Taste a small amount once cooled to a comfortable temperature and add a little more sugar or hot water if needed. The yield is about 1.2 litres, depending on evaporation.
Divide into about four glasses and serve warm if desired. For a cold drink, divide the strained liquid between smaller containers, cool promptly and refrigerate, then pour when chilled. Do not estimate recipe water from ice shown in a picture; any optional ice must be made from drinking water.
Check separately purchased wumei for sulphites and other additives and follow the actual label. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
After straining, divide into smaller containers, cool promptly and refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours of preparation. Drink within 48 hours. Do not keep at room temperature or rely on bubbles or odour to extend storage. Reheat only the portion needed, once, until hot throughout, then cool to a comfortable drinking temperature.
