Apricot Kernal and Snow Pear Infusion

"Perhaps, they are right. Perhaps those who laugh at me inwardly, calling me a fool to try to do this, are right. Perhaps, they may be right," Or so I thought, with the hint of nervousness as I pounded away, and then assembled ten little sachets of Apricot Kernal and Snowpear Infusion.

The said presentiment never did occur, as Apricot Kernal and Snowpear infusion turned out just fine. Three cubes of rock sugar, as it happened, were just sufficient to provide a tinge of sweetness but not wash out the bitterness of the Gan Cao.

Rather sheepishly had I gone to the Chinese Medicinal Shop that morning, shy about my ignorance about TCM, the Next Big Thing in the Asian culinary world. I asked for advice on preparing an infusion for curing a sore throat, but really, I already really had in mind what I wanted in that infusion. I asked for Apricot Kernals and empty sachets, and I asked if the propreitor could be so kind as to grind the kernals for me as I intended to fill the sachets will ground Apricot Kernals and some other supposedly cooling ingredients. The proprietor, steeped in his art and years of experience, cast me a strange look and almost dismissively told me that the flavour (did he also mean curative properties?) of the kernals would not be sufficiently released should the sachets only have the ten minutes in mugs in which to infuse the boiling water. I should, he suggested insistently, expert to novice, boil the ingredients in a pot over the stove for a while.

The Chinese Medicinal Hall was crowded that Saturday morning- and I was quick to notice that it was not a suitable moment for me to attempt engaging him in a long discussion about either assembling concoction ingredients, nor explain the method behind my apparent madness. After all, it would certainly make more economic sense, both in terms of money and convenience, for me to * place the infusion ingredients in a large pot and boil the infusion over the stove for some time.

Sometimes, though, that is just not possible. It is not possible when you want to send comfort and care over oceans, beyond continents, to soothe the throat and heart of another. You are not there to (see *) , and so you just try to find the next best method. You suddenly remember when you were a student, studying in a cold land (in Summer we are back in warm Singapore), and receive in the post, from an Aunty, sachets of home-assembled cooling tea, largely Chrysanthemum... voila! There's your solution! And so it was for me, as off to the Chinese Medicine Shop I went.

And so, discouraged I was not, when the proprietor raised his eyebrows and wrinkles, and discouraged I was not, when my uncle (who happened to come visiting when I was assemblying the sachets at home) bode a thin-tasting fate for my infusion sachets. These sachets were going on an Important Mission to Bring More Than Curative Properties, and so they had better just be fine.

After the whole assembly process was completed, I made myself a hot infusion of Apricot Kernal and Snow Pear, and it was as I would have liked it, cloudy and thick with almondy-flavoured apricoty essence, bearing the nuanced flavours of Chrysanthemum and Snowpear. It turned out that the reason why it worked was the pounding, using motar and pestle, of the Apricot Kernals. Perhaps, all that the proprietor was skeptical about was just this- this fragile-looking young lady pounding Apricot Kernals to a powder? I don't think so!

Well, sir, for all your propriety, look what I made!

Apricot Kernal and Snow Pear Infusion

Ingredients:
100g Apricot Kernals , pounded to a powder, using a motar and pestle

50g Dried Snow Pear

100g Dried Chrysanthemum Flowers

50g Gan Cao

100g Rock Sugar

10 Empty Sachets

I assembled these, including 2 dessertspoonfuls of ground apricot kernals, 2 slices of dried Snow Pear, about 7 Chrysanthemum Flowers (because seven is a nice number), 1 strip of Gan Cao, 3 cubes of rock sugar in each sachet. To seal, press a moderate iron over the open end of the sachet. Alternatively, tie, old-fashionedly, using string and attach a home-made infusion-tag.