A Chinese remedy to soothe your allergies - the tea set designed to calm and soothe
Alice Sun (@alicecsun) shares a unique view into her life through the ways she uses food to nurture wellness, cross cultural divides, and bring people together, all through the medium of storytelling.
Alice Sun•
March 18, 2026
The allergies have been hitting this household hard, and by that I mean it’s causing all the works — itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing non stop, and the coughing, even with the allergy meds…
The boy’s been going through it, so we’re pulling out the traditional Chinese remedies!
We’re making a two-part tea set: a soothing Pear, Lemon & Honeycomb Tea to stop the cough and soothe the lungs, and a Pearl Barley & Red Jujube Snack to stop the source of the stuffy and runny noses.
The pear is used to hydrate and break up the mucus in the lungs, while the honey soothes the irritation from the coughing. Getting local honey with honeycomb helps desensitize the body to the local pollen you’re reacting to.
The pearl barley and red jujube work together to break up the stuff clogging up your sinuses. Here’s how to make them:
Peel the pear (1) then cut into thin slices.
Thinly slice the lemon (½) then add to a pot with the pear and water (2 cups).
Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 mins.
While that’s going, add the pearl barley (¼ cup) to another pot with water (4 cups).
Before adding the red jujubes (4), make thin slits along the sides so its deep, medicinal sweetness and vitamins to release fully into the cooking liquid.
Simmer for 1 hour, adding a bit more water if needed.
Enjoy the tea with honey and honeycomb added at the end and have the pearly barley and red jujube as a snack.
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