Korean Cough Remedy: Honey Steamed Pear (Baesuk)

This natural cough and cold remedy has been used for generations in Korea and, with a few simple changes, can be allergy-friendly, too. Traditional Baesuk recipes use fill pears with honey, ginger, jujubes or dates and pine nuts. The honey in this recipe is a critical ingredient since honey is medically recognized as surpressing coughs as well as medicinal cough surpressants (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/honey/AN01799). The ginger also plays an important role in this remedy as ginger is recognized for treating asthma and cold/flu symptoms worldwide (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265990.php). The recipe is rounded out with a pear which offers about 10% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, known to boost the immune system.

However, not all of the traditional ingredients are beneficial to those with multiple food allergies. My recipe has replaced the dates, which are often cross-contaminated by nuts, and replaced them with prunes. Many cultures hail prunes as having medicinal benefits for colds and asthma. I have also chosen to omit the pine nuts because if you are seed, tree nut, peanut or pine allergic, you may also be allergic to this seed by virtue of cross-reactivity or actual allergy.  If you are not sensitive to pine nuts, you may want to include the pine nuts for added texture and nutritional value.

Honey Steamed Pears (Baesuk)

1 Korean/Asian pear (Anjou or Bose pear)

2 Tbs honey

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or finely sliced

1 prune, chopped

water, amount varies by cooking method

In a steamer:

1. Fill steam pot with water, place lid, and bring to boil.
2. Cut the top off of the pear and reserve.
3. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the core from the pear.
4. Place the cored pear inside the steamer.
5. Place honey, ginger, and prune inside of pear then place top on pear.
6. Place steam tray on steamer and cover with lid.
7. Steam pear until soft to forks touch.
8. Gently remove pear from steamer and place in a bowl.  Allow to cool.
9. As it cools, the juices from the steamed pear with settle in the bowl to make a lovely tasting syrup.
10. Drink syrup and eat pear with its contents to help coughs or colds.

In the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the top off of the pear and reserve.
3. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the core from the pear.
4. Place the cored pear inside a clay crock.
5. Place honey, ginger, and prune inside of pear then place top on pear.
6. Add enough water to reach about 1/3 the way up the pear(s). 
7. Place lid on crock and place in oven.
8. Cook pear until soft to forks touch or water has steamed out (about an hour). 
9. Allow to cool in the oven.
10. As it cools, the juices from the steamed pear with settle in the bowl to make a lovely tasting syrup.
11. Drink syrup and eat pear with its contents to help coughs or colds.

NOTE: If your steamer or crock will hold more than one pear, you may cook many at one time.  Just cook until pears are soft or water has steamed out of crock.

TO STORE: Place pears and juices in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.  You may reheat pears or juices in the microwave. You may also pour a little hot water over a cup of syrup to warm it up for drinking.