Suanmeitang
Encyclopedia
Suanmeitang or Sour prune drink is a traditional Chinese
beverage made from sour plums (specifically, smoked Chinese plums), rock sugar, and other ingredients such as sweet osmanthus. Due to the sour plums used in its production, suanmeitang is slightly salty in addition to being sweet and rather sour.
Suanmeitang is commercially available in China, Taiwan, and other parts of the world with Chinese communities. It is often drunk chilled during the summertime, as relief from the heat, and is one of the most common summer drinks in China. In addition to being widely considered an effective drink for cooling off in the heat, it is also popularly believed to have minor health benefits, such as improving digestion and possibly inhibiting the buildup of lactic acid
in the body.
(960–1279 CE); there are also reports of a variation called "white suanmeitang" (白酸梅汤) during the Yuan Dynasty
(1271–1368 CE). The recipe used today is thought to have been developed at the request of the Qianlong Emperor
of the Qing Dynasty
during the early 18th century, at which time it was first common in the imperial courts, and was later popularized among common folk when a Hebei
citizen created and produced the Xinyuanzhai (信远斋) brand. By the 1980s, companies had begun to use industrial methods and technology to mass-produce
suanmeitang.
, liquorice root, and sweet osmanthus
and boiling them together. Rose
blossoms may also be added. After the mixture is boiled, rock sugar is added to the residue, it is boiled again, and after the beverage has cooled off it is chilled.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
beverage made from sour plums (specifically, smoked Chinese plums), rock sugar, and other ingredients such as sweet osmanthus. Due to the sour plums used in its production, suanmeitang is slightly salty in addition to being sweet and rather sour.
Suanmeitang is commercially available in China, Taiwan, and other parts of the world with Chinese communities. It is often drunk chilled during the summertime, as relief from the heat, and is one of the most common summer drinks in China. In addition to being widely considered an effective drink for cooling off in the heat, it is also popularly believed to have minor health benefits, such as improving digestion and possibly inhibiting the buildup of lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
in the body.
History
Suanmeitang has existed in some form for over 1,000 years, at least since the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960–1279 CE); there are also reports of a variation called "white suanmeitang" (白酸梅汤) during the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
(1271–1368 CE). The recipe used today is thought to have been developed at the request of the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
during the early 18th century, at which time it was first common in the imperial courts, and was later popularized among common folk when a Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
citizen created and produced the Xinyuanzhai (信远斋) brand. By the 1980s, companies had begun to use industrial methods and technology to mass-produce
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
suanmeitang.
Ingredients and production
Suanmeitang is made by first soaking sour plums in water, then adding hawCrataegus pinnatifida
Crataegus pinnatifida, also known as Chinese hawthorn or shānzhā , refers to a small to a medium-sized tree as well as the fruit of the tree. The fruit is bright red, 1.5 inches in diameter.-Culinary use:...
, liquorice root, and sweet osmanthus
Osmanthus
Osmanthus is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae, mostly native to warm temperate Asia but one species occurring in North America . It is sometimes included in Nestegis.They range in size from shrubs to small trees, 2-12 m tall...
and boiling them together. Rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
blossoms may also be added. After the mixture is boiled, rock sugar is added to the residue, it is boiled again, and after the beverage has cooled off it is chilled.