How to Make Pear Ginger Tea | A Grandma Remedy, With Old Books and New Research

When a scratchy throat set in, Korean grandmothers simmered a pear. We've turned that old idea into a simple tea with just pear, ginger, and honey. So is "pears for a cough" really true? Here's what science can tell us.

Where It Comes From

In Korea, people have long eaten baesuk — pear that's steamed or simmered — for colds, sore throats, and coughs. Ginger was believed to warm the body, honey to soothe the throat, and pear to help digestion. China has its own pear soups, too. This tea is a simple, modern take on those Korean and Chinese pear dishes.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Ingredient	Amount
Pear	200 g (about 7 oz)
Fresh ginger, thinly sliced	10 g (about ⅓ oz)
Water	500 ml (about 2 cups)
Honey	14 g (2 tsp)

How to Make It

1. Slice the pear thin.
2. Simmer it with the ginger and water for 15 minutes.
3. Strain and stir in the honey.

What's Nice About It

• There are human studies suggesting ginger may ease nausea.
• Studies (in children) suggest honey may help calm a cough.
• Sipping it warm is an easy way to get fluids.

What the Old Books Say

• Bencao Gangmu (China, 1596): pear "moistens the lungs, cools the heart, clears phlegm and calms heat."
• In Korea, steamed or simmered pear, baesuk, was a go-to for colds, sore throats and coughs.

What Research Says Today

No one has studied this tea itself. But honey was found to reduce how often and how badly people coughed, compared with usual care, in a 2021 review of 14 studies (BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine). Evidence against placebo is still limited. Ginger has studies on easing nausea.

Today's Rating

Item	Rating
Evidence	★★ Some studies, limited results
Safety	🟢 Safe in normal food amounts

How to Enjoy It

One or two cups a day, when your throat feels scratchy.

Just Two Cautions

• Never give honey to babies under 1 year old. Honey can contain spores of the botulism bacteria, and babies under 1 year old can't yet fight them off well.
• If you have diabetes, go easy on sweet ingredients. Foods and drinks high in sugar can raise blood sugar quickly.

Sources

• NCCIH: Ginger
• KQED Bay Area Bites: an article on Korean home remedies, from tummy aches to hangovers
• Bencao Gangmu, pear — https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/本草綱目
• Abuelgasim H. et al., honey for upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, BMJ EBM 2021;26:57-64 — https://ebm.bmj.com/content/26/2/57

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This article introduces traditional food customs. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your doctor if you have health concerns.