Tonic Drinks & Waters
Apple Sugarcane Water
Traditionally used to clear heat, encourage saliva and ease dryness
Why people make this water
Bro Niu loves how everyday this one is — apples are cheap and plentiful, and the skin in particular is full of good things, traditionally regarded as friendly to the heart and blood vessels. On a hot day, pairing apple with sugarcane and simmering it as a tea is a gentle way to cool down, encourage saliva and ease dryness, and it is often sipped to help the lingering dryness after a cold has mostly passed.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Anyone feeling the heat of summer with a dry mouth, or those still a bit blocked-up and slightly coughy after a cold’s main symptoms have eased.
- Gentle enough for young and old. Sugarcane is slightly cooling, but paired with apple it is neither too cold nor too drying.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Sugarcane (zhu zhe): Green-skinned sugarcane is traditionally used to clear heat, soothe the throat, encourage saliva, relieve summer heat, and moisten the lungs to ease coughing.
- Apple (ping guo): Kept whole with the skin, traditionally regarded as nourishing and good for the heart and blood vessels; it balances the cooling nature of sugarcane.
Ingredients (about 3 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarcane (zhu zhe) | 2–3 segments | Green-skinned; scrub clean and split open |
| Apple (ping guo) | 1–2 | Skin on, cored and sliced |
Method
- Scrub the sugarcane clean and split it open.
- Wash the apples (skin on), core and slice.
- Put everything into a pot with 6 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes until reduced to about 3 bowls. Serve as a tea.
Bro Niu’s tips
Green-skinned sugarcane is slightly cooling by nature, but pairing it with apple keeps it neither cold nor drying, so it’s an easy drink for all ages. It is especially nice for those whose cold has mostly cleared but who still have a touch of blocked nose or a little cough.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (JK): Good morning Bro Niu! My family member just caught a cold and has taken Western medicine for a few days — still has a runny nose, occasionally a bit yellow, with a cough and white phlegm, and feels tired easily. Should I make this apple water or use snow pear? Or, without fruit, do you have a suggestion? Bro Niu: If the phlegm is yellow, use snow pear with the skin on, with sugarcane or a quarter of a golden monk fruit (luo han guo), simmered as a tea — traditionally used to help loosen phlegm and ease coughing.
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Q (JK): Only the runny nose is a little yellow; the phlegm is white. Is it suitable to add magnolia flower (xin yi hua)? Better with dried tangerine cake / fruit / monk fruit? Bro Niu: You can add 8 magnolia flowers (xin yi hua), paired with dried tangerine cake, apple and monk fruit, simmered as a drink — traditionally used to ease phlegm, soothe coughing and dry up a runny nose.
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Q (JK): Bro Niu, after 2 days (4 batches) the runny nose and phlegm are much reduced, but oddly the cough is worse morning and night, with a slight itch. What else can I make? Bro Niu: An itchy throat may mean “wind”; you can use 3 dark plums (wu mei), a small pinch of chrysanthemum, and 4–5 slices of liquorice (gan cao) steeped as a tea. You can keep refilling until it turns light.
Published June 6, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
