Rock Sugar & Smoked Plum Drink (Bingtang Wumei Tang)

Main Ingredients

• Smoked plum (Wumei, from a pharmacy—not the snack type) 20-30g
• Rock sugar 100-200g
• Dried hawthorn 10-15g
• Dried tangerine peel 5-6g
• Licorice root 3-5g
• Dried osmanthus flowers 2-3g
• Water 1500-2000ml

Steps

1. Rinse 20-30g of medicinal smoked plum (about 5-7 pieces) quickly to remove surface dust. Place in a bowl with about 500ml of water and soak for 30 minutes to soften and facilitate the release of active compounds.

   

2. Pour the soaked smoked plum and soaking water into a clay pot or stainless steel pot (avoid iron pots). Add water to reach about 1500ml total. If using hawthorn, tangerine peel, or licorice, add them now. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat, cover with a small gap, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the liquid turns deep purplish-red and the aroma of smoked plum is fully released.

   

3. Add 100-200g of rock sugar (adjust to taste) and stir until fully dissolved. Simmer for another 10 minutes to fully integrate the sweetness with the sourness.

   

4. 2-3 minutes before turning off the heat, add 2-3g of dried osmanthus flowers and simmer briefly. Note: Do not overcook osmanthus—prolonged cooking dissipates its fragrance.

   

5. Strain through a fine sieve to remove solids and reserve the clear liquid. Serve warm or chilled. 1-2 times daily, about 1 bowl (200-250ml) per serving. In summer, it can be refrigerated, but avoid drinking it too cold to prevent harm to the spleen and stomach.

   

TCM Notes

Smoked Plum (Wumei): Sour and astringent in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Large Intestine meridians. Known for astringing the lungs, stopping diarrhea, generating fluids, and calming roundworms. Contains approximately 19% citric acid and 15% malic acid, along with succinic acid and other organic acids, with a total acid content of about 4%-5.5%. The organic acids in smoked plum stimulate saliva and gastric juice secretion, enhance digestive function, and boost immunity. Citric acid promotes bile secretion and liver metabolism, aiding liver detoxification. Smoked plum also contains flavonoids, terpenoids, sterols, and other active compounds. Rock Sugar: Sweet in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Lung and Spleen meridians. Known for tonifying the middle, boosting qi, harmonizing the stomach, and moistening the lungs. Combined with the sourness of smoked plum, it forms the classic "sour-sweet generating yin" pairing, effectively generating fluids, quenching thirst, and nourishing yin. Synergistic Effect: Smoked plum is sour and astringent, while rock sugar is sweet and moistening. One sour, one sweet—sour-sweet generates yin, generating fluids without harming the body's integrity, and astringing the lungs and stopping diarrhea without retaining pathogens. The Revised Popular Treatise on Cold Damage describes this formula as "nourishing the stomach through sweetness and sourness", a common dietary remedy for summer heat with fluid depletion. Total approx. 150-250 kcal (depending on rock sugar amount), primarily carbohydrates—a low-fat, fluid-generating, thirst-quenching medicinal beverage.

Suitable for：Those with excessive sweating in summer, dry mouth, thirst, and fluid depletion Those with poor appetite, indigestion, and low stomach acid Those with chronic dry cough due to lung deficiency Those with summer heat, thirst, and restlessness Those with roundworm-induced abdominal pain (smoked plum has roundworm-calming effects) Those with chronic diarrhea (smoked plum has astringent anti-diarrheal effects) Those with yin deficiency and fluid depletion (dry mouth and throat, dry skin, dry stools)

Not suitable for：Those with early-stage colds – smoked plum is sour and astringent; in the early stages of wind-cold or wind-heat colds with cough, phlegm, fever, and sore throat, it should not be consumed, as its astringent nature may trap pathogens Those with Spleen-Stomach Cold Deficiency – use with caution. The sour taste of smoked plum stimulates the gastrointestinal mucosa and may cause diarrhea in those with spleen-stomach cold deficiency Those with hyperacidity, gastritis with acid reflux, gastric ulcers, or duodenal ulcers – not recommended. The sour taste strongly stimulates the gastrointestinal mucosa Diabetes patients – use with caution or avoid. Rock sugar is typically added for flavor; diabetics should limit intake or omit sugar (xylitol can be used as a substitute) Pregnant women – not recommended. Hawthorn in the formula has blood-activating and stasis-dispelling effects and is not suitable for pregnant women in large amounts Children – limit intake. Children's spleen and stomach are not fully developed and should drink sparingly Those with damp-heat constitution – use with caution. Those with thick yellow greasy tongue coating should not consume Those with excess pathogens or hyperacidity – avoid Those with diarrhea or loose stools – use with caution. Although smoked plum has astringent anti-diarrheal effects, it should not be used in the early stages of acute diarrhea. Those allergic to smoked plum or any ingredient