Beijing Plum Syrup

Beijing Plum Syrup is a traditional beverage with a long history, especially popular during hot summer days. Its main ingredients include dark plums, hawthorns, licorice, rock sugar, etc. Wash the dark plums, hawthorns, licorice, and other ingredients, put them in a pot, add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 1 - 2 hours to fully release the flavors of the ingredients into the water. After cooking, strain the residue through a sieve, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar, and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Let the plum syrup cool down, then refrigerate it. The chilled plum syrup has a reddish - brown, translucent color and exudes a rich sweet - sour aroma. Take a sip, and the sweet - sour taste spreads in your mouth, feeling cool and refreshing. It can instantly relieve the summer heat and also has the effects of promoting saliva production, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, and reducing greasiness. Plum Syrup can be found everywhere in the streets and alleys of old Beijing. In the past, peddlers sold it while carrying shoulder poles. Today, it is also available in many restaurants and beverage stores. It is an essential refreshing drink in Beijing’s food culture, loved by both locals and tourists.