Rock Sugar Pear Soup

冰糖雪梨

Rock Sugar Pear Soup — Soup & DessertGuangzhou home cooking.

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. (Small bubbles break softly at surface; pear skins begin to blush faintly golden.)
3. Reduce heat to low, cover partially with lid (leave 1 cm gap), and simmer for 30 minutes. Gently rotate pears halfway through. (Pears soften visibly at shoulders but hold shape; liquid reduces slightly and glistens.)
4. Turn off heat. Let pears steep in hot liquid for 10 minutes off the stove — this deepens sweetness and infuses lily flavor. (Steam condenses heavily on lid; pear flesh becomes translucent near core.)
5. Carefully lift pears into serving bowls using chopsticks. Ladle hot syrup and lily bulbs over each. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Syrup coats back of spoon thickly but pours in a steady ribbon.)