Rock Sugar Pear Soup

冰糖雪梨

Rock Sugar Pear Soup — a Soup & Dessert Chinese recipe made with Asian pears, rock sugar, ready in about 45 minutes. Step-by-step instructions with photos.

Ingredients

• Asian pears (Xue Li variety, firm, unblemished)
• rock sugar
• dried lily bulbs (Bai He)
• water

Instructions

1. Wash pears thoroughly. Using a melon baller or small knife, carefully scoop out cores — leaving bottoms intact to form 'bowls'. Peel only if using non-Xue Li pears. (Pear cavity is smooth-walled, ~2 cm deep, with no tears or thin spots.)
2. Place pear halves upright in a small saucepan. Add water, rock sugar, and dried lily bulbs. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover partially with lid (leave 1 cm gap), and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently rotate pears halfway through.
4. Turn off heat. Let pears steep in hot liquid for 10 minutes off the stove — this deepens sweetness and infuses lily flavor.
5. Carefully lift pears into serving bowls using chopsticks. Ladle hot syrup and lily bulbs over each. Serve warm or at room temperature.