Chrysanthemum Tea 菊花茶

The weather is sooo hot right now in Singapore that it is becoming unbearable for me :roll: I really miss the rainy days so much. I feel like an ice cube being left out under the sun to melt, or a person trapped in a gigantic suana, the heatwave is just horrible. How does one cope when things get too hot to handle? Herbal cooling tea (凉茶), in this case, the no-fuss Chrysanthemum Tea – comes to the rescue!

This requires just a few ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to make. It quenches your thirst and has “cooling” properties, which bring down body heat. It is suitable for all seasons & perfect especially for Singapore’s all-year-round tropical weather as well as the hot summer months. Try it! =D

Chrysanthemum Tea (菊花茶) – chilled

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

- 50g dried chrysanthemum flowers (朵朵香/duo duo hua)
- 10g licorice (liquorice) roots (aka gan zao) – About 8 pieces* (optional)
- 1.5 litre water
- rock sugar, about 50g (adjust according to your preference)

* skip this if you are pregnant or have high-blood pressure

Directions

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, add chrysanthemum, licorice roots (if using) and rock sugar. Simmer for a short few minutes (do not boil for too long) and off the flame. Take out the chrysanthemum flowers and licorice roots and sieve the liquid through a strainer.

Drink chilled or at room temperature.

Note: You may re-use the ingredients by adding water and boiling to brew a second round if you wish.

Tips
- You can also add 1 tsp of wolfberries (soaked in water till puffy first) if desired.
- There are a type of chrysanthemum flowers which do not require boiling (杭菊); simply place the ingredients in a cup/tea pot, pour boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. However, I prefer to bring the ingredients to a brief boil to let the flavours seep in.

This post is my entry for WHB which is hosted by Food Lover’s Journey.

Some Possible Benefits of Chrysanthemum

- quench thirst - detoxify the body - aid in recovery from influenza, mild sunstroke - ‘cooling’ property which regulates the body’s ‘yin and yang’, reducing internal body heat

Some Possible Benefits of Licorice Root

- fight inflammation, infections, and allergies - help soothe coughs and colds - improve digestion - ease menstrual cramps

Chrysanthemum Tea (菊花茶)

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Update (17-Jul-08) ::
I’m submitting the last photo for the July 2008 edition of Click! (theme: coffee & tea).

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Tagged as: Chrysanthemum, licorice, rock sugar