This is the 5006th article of Da Yi Xiao Nursing
"The sound of the copper bowl is called in the street, a pot of ice water and plum soup", sour plum soup has been popular as early as the Qing Dynasty, and it is still loved by the world today. In the past two years, it has also become very popular as a new Chinese drink, comparable to Internet celebrity products such as "Sauce Flavor Moutai", attracting major bloggers and netizens to go to the Chinese medicine hall to check in with sour plum soup, and even the phenomenon of "hard to find a soup" has appeared. So, what is the charm of sour plum soup that attracts people to the world?
How was sour plum soup born?
The main ingredient in sour plum soup is black plum, which is a processed product of plum fruit and is a product of the same origin as medicine and food. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there are records of extracting sour pulp from fresh plum berries as a drink. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Tao Hongjing proposed the medicinal use and taking method of black plum "typhoid fever and heat, water stained drinking juice", which can be regarded as the predecessor of sour plum soup. Plum juice drink appeared in the Song Dynasty, which is relatively close to the modern sour plum soup, such as the "braised plum water" mentioned in "Wulin Old Things". The "white plum soup" and "cooked plum soup" in the Yuan Dynasty's "Drinking and Eating Things" and "Complete Works of Household Essentials" show that the world has named plum soup for this kind of drink.
The sour plum soup we drink now appeared in the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that the Manchu people like to eat a kind of sour soup that is mainly fermented from cornmeal and used to relieve greasy. The Manchu people who originally lived in the northeast all the year round were very unsuitable for the climate and geographical environment of Beijing, and the long-term drinking of sour soup was easy to help dampness and heat, gain weight and gain weight. Therefore, Qianlong ordered the improvement of the sour soup, composed of black plum, hawthorn, tangerine peel, etc., the sour plum soup came out, it is said that Qianlong drank the sour plum soup before and after the meal, and recommended it as the daily health drink of the palace, so it has the reputation of "the imperial black plum soup of the Qing Palace", and the sour plum soup was introduced into the people, and became a popular drink loved by the people.
Why is sour plum soup a good way to beat the heat?
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the sour plum soup composed of black plum, hawthorn, licorice, tangerine peel, rock sugar, etc., has the effect of quenching thirst and strengthening the spleen. In summer, the weather is hot, the pores of the human body are opened, sweating more, it is easy to consume gas and hurt the body, and there are discomforts such as dry mouth and throat, decreased appetite, fatigue and heat, fatigue and fatigue. The main ingredient in the sour plum soup, black plum, is sour and not only sweats, but also astringent vitality; Licorice and rock sugar replenish the qi, and the combination of sour black plum with sweet licorice and rock sugar can also breed and replenish the liquid to relieve symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, which is often said in traditional Chinese medicine. Hawthorn and tangerine peel eliminate food and qi, which is very suitable for people who have eclipse accumulation and loss of appetite in summer. In addition, in the long summer, the heat is easy to get wet, and the tangerine peel can also be dry and damp. Therefore, although sour plum soup is suitable as a drink in all seasons, it is especially recommended in summer, and it can be said to be a must-have drink at home.
Can sour plum soup only cool off in summer?
Sour plum soup is not only a relief from the heat, but also a polygon warrior, so don't underestimate it as a simple drink to cool off.
The main ingredient of black plum contains a large amount of acidic substances, which can stimulate and promote the secretion of salivary glands and gastric juice glands, which not only quenches thirst, but also sobers up and relieves motion sickness and seasickness. The acids in black plum can scavenge free radicals in the body, promote bile secretion, and reduce blood cholesterol levels. The hawthorn, which has the effect of invigorating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, has the effects of lowering lipids, lowering blood pressure, and dilating coronary arteries. Therefore, for patients with high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high cholesterol and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, sour plum soup is a highly recommended health drink. People who belong to the liver fire of traditional Chinese medicine are also more suitable to drink sour plum soup, which can not only calm the liver fire, but also help the spleen and stomach digest and nourish the liver and blood. In addition, sour plum soup also has certain effects such as relieving sore throat and accelerating wound healing.
Are there any contraindications to the use of sour plum soup?
Although sour plum soup is good as a popular drink, it is not suitable for everyone. Sour plum soup generally needs to be added with rock sugar to correct the taste, and diabetics should not drink more, or do not put rock sugar when making it; The hawthorn in the sour plum soup has the effect of invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, which is not suitable for pregnant women with a history of habitual miscarriage and people with heavy menstrual flow. Wumei and hawthorn taste acid, which has a certain irritation to the gastrointestinal mucosa, so patients with weak spleen and stomach, heartburn and acid reflux are not suitable for drinking; Children with weak spleen and stomach function should also drink as little as possible.
How to decoction sour plum soup to make it healthier and tastier?
Finally, I will introduce you to a method of homemade osmanthus sour plum soup at home:
Ingredients: 30g of black plum, 30g of hawthorn, 9g of tangerine peel, 6g of licorice, appropriate amount of rock sugar and osmanthus.
Production method: take black plum, hawthorn, tangerine peel, licorice, add 1500-2000 ml of water and soak for half an hour before decoction, after boiling, turn to low heat and cook for half an hour, add osmanthus, boil for 3~5 minutes, pay attention to the osmanthus decoction time should not exceed 5min, long-term cooking will affect the aroma of osmanthus, and then add an appropriate amount of rock sugar according to personal taste. A sweet and sour plum soup is successfully boiled!
Author: Zhong Yongxin, Class of 2021, Five-Year Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University
Advisor: Zhang Huiqing, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University
This Work was Funded by: The First Round of Shanghai Health Science Popularization Talent Capacity Improvement Project (JKKPYC-2022-10)
Some of the pictures are taken from the Internet, if there is any infringement, please inform us and delete it.
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