Unker Cooks : Chinese Cough Syrup

So hor.. lately UltraBen™ (that's my son if you just know me yesterday) has been coughing with lots of phlegm in his throat. Well, that little 3 year old boy still doesn't know how to spit out the phlegm and that makes things worst. For example, occasionally he would vomit the food due to discomfort, making things worst.

Aiya... as a father... what can I do? Well, besides giving him cough mixture (for kids), I've decided to boil a very good soup just for coughs and phlegm that's originated from some big oriental village in China.. LOL

This recipe is enough for 2-3 persons.

What you need lah...:

So... head over to Eu Yan Sang (or your nearest Chinese pharmacy and get these stuff:


Nan Xing + Bei Xing (南杏 ＋ 北杏）

In non-potent sacred power soup from the oriental century old hidden secrets terms.... these are actually the seeds of the apricot fruit from northern and southern China. 

Nan Xing is sweeter while Bei Xing is more bitter. That doesn't really matter because I can't tell which is which when it's in the mouth. What really matters is that these powerful seeds of the 18-style Tiger Claw fist is very very helpful in curing coughs and also lubricating the lungs (LOL). 

You can be sure to find these seeds in any Chinese soups that helps to cure coughs.

For this soup, you just need about a spoonful of both seeds. It's okay to include more.

Bit Cho (密枣)

These are dried honey dates. 

They are also good for the lungs and assist in reducing coughs. 

Use 5-7 biji for this recipe.

Luo Han Guo (罗汉果）

This is no stranger to many people, it is also known as the Monk's fruit. This is grown in Southern China and exported worldwide in its dried brown form. Each one costs about RM1.00 to RM1.50 depending on size. It is also an extremely sweet fruit. 

Luo Han Guo is excellent for heatstroke, sore throats, cough or any other respiratory problems.

Use 1 biji for this soup.

of course, lastly....

Some pork shank or ribs depending on what you like lah.

So what do I do with them lah?

• The very first thing you need to do if you have pork or chicken in your recipe is to wash them. Boil a pot of water, add some salt as catalyst (LOL). Throw in the pork and let it boil for 5-8 minutes. 
• Remove pork ribs from the dirty water. Throw water away or give to the project engineer tomorrow morning in office.
• Soak nan xing, bei xing and bit cho in some lukewarm water for few minutes. Throw away water and put everything into a fresh pot of water. Add the pork ribs.
• Wash luo han guo and hold it with your left hand, then using your right hand, punch it real hard until the shell cracks and the insides are exposed. 
• Throw the injured luo han guo into the pot and let them boil for 20 minutes at medium flame.
• Reduce flame to the lowest and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Serve!!!

I'm double boiling the soup because my kitchen stove's flame is so POWERRRRR that the lowest flame is still boiling the soup and not simmer it. Ha ha... well.... as long as it works.

You can just drink the soup and throw away the rest. For me, I like to chew on the nan xing and bei xing. 

And that.... is how you make Chinese Cough Syrup. 

LOL!!!