Sour Plum Juice (Suanmeitang)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Country of Origin
China (Beijing / Imperial Palace Style)
Description
A classical, hyper-refreshing elite beverage dating back centuries. This traditional tonic blends smoked sour plums, licorice root, and sweet osmanthus flowers to create an complex flavor profile that is simultaneously tart, deeply sweet, intensely cooling, and balanced by an exotic, subtle smoky undertone.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served icy cold in glass pitchers, often garnished with a pinch of fresh golden osmanthus petals sprinkled on top. It is the premier choice across China to accompany spicy dinners, particularly Sichuan hot pot, because it immediately cools the palate.
Ingredients
50g smoked sour plums (Wumei, available at Chinese herbal/grocery shops)
15g dried hawthorn slices (Shanzha)
5g licorice root slices (Gancao)
3g dried sweet osmanthus flowers (Guihua, divided)
6 cups water
80g yellow rock sugar (adjust to taste)
Step-by-Step Directions
Rinse and Soak: Briefly rinse the smoked plums, hawthorn slices, and licorice root under cold water to remove dust. Place them into a deep bowl, cover with 6 cups of water, and let them soak for 20 minutes to soften.
Bring to a Boil: Transfer the soaked ingredients and all of the soaking water directly into a large non-reactive pot (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel).
First Simmer: Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and let simmer gently for 30 minutes to extract the deep ruby color and smoky elements.
Infuse Flowers and Sugar: Remove the lid and stir in the yellow rock sugar along with 2 grams of the dried sweet osmanthus flowers. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Strain: Turn off the heat. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof pitcher to separate the dark juice from the spent plums and herbs. Discard the solids.
Chill and Garnish: Allow the juice to cool to room temperature, then transfer the pitcher to the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until icy cold. Serve over ice cubes and garnish each glass with a tiny pinch of the remaining fresh dry osmanthus flowers.
Cooking Tips
Avoid Reactive Metal Cooking Pots: Never use unlined iron or aluminum pots to brew Suanmeitang. The high natural acidity of the smoked plums and hawthorn berries will react chemically with these metals, leaching a metallic tang into your juice and discoloring the cookware.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving)
Calories: ~65 kcal
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: ~8mg
Total Carbohydrates: 16g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 0.3g
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