Kitchen Recipe Collection
Sour Plum Tea (Suanmeitang)
The ultimate traditional Chinese summer thirst quencher. A deeply dark, smoky, sweet and sour iced drink brewed from smoked plums, hawthorn, licorice, and osmanthus flowers.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- 10 dried smoked plums (Wu Mei)
- 1/4 cup dried hawthorn berries (Shan Zha)
- 2 slices dried licorice root (Gan Cao)
- 1 tsp dried osmanthus flowers (Gui Hua)
- 1 1/2 cups rock sugar (adjust to taste)
- 8 cups water
Equipment
- Large pot
- Fine mesh strainer
- Glass pitcher
Instructions
- 1
Rinse Ingredients
Rinse the smoked plums, hawthorn berries, and licorice root under cold water to remove any dust.
- 2
Soak
Soak the rinsed ingredients in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to soften them.
- 3
Boil
Transfer the soaked ingredients and the 8 cups of fresh water into a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
- 4
Simmer
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 40-45 minutes. The water will turn a very deep, dark amber color.
- 5
Add Sugar
Stir in the rock sugar until it is completely dissolved.
- 6
Add Osmanthus
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the dried osmanthus flowers over the surface. Cover the pot and let it steep off the heat for 10 minutes to extract the floral aroma without making it bitter.
- 7
Strain
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher. Discard the solids.
- 8
Chill
Let the liquid cool to room temperature, then place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until ice cold.
- 9
Serve
Serve over a glass filled with ice cubes. It should be simultaneously sweet, sharply sour, slightly smoky, and incredibly refreshing.
Cooking Tips
- The 'Wu Mei' (smoked plums) are absolutely essential and cannot be substituted with regular dried plums or prunes. They provide the signature smoky, tart flavor.
- This drink is traditionally served alongside incredibly spicy food (like Sichuan hot pot) because the sourness cuts through the chili oil and numbing heat.
Variations
- Carbonated Suanmeitang: Mix a highly concentrated version of the syrup with sparkling water for a modern soda version.
Nutrition Estimate
120 calories · 0g protein · 30g carbs · 0g fat · 1g fiber per serving
