Alisma & Green Tea

Why people make this tea

Walk into any traditional Chinese herb shop and you will see bags of “dampness-clearing” herb blends sold by the packet. Among the rounded, disc-like pieces inside, one ingredient often stands out: alisma root (ze xie). In traditional Chinese medicine it has long been considered one of the stronger herbs for draining excess fluid and clearing heat from the lower body. What makes it particularly interesting to modern food-therapy enthusiasts is that some research has also examined its effects on blood fats and blood sugar — consistent with the way traditional practitioners have reached for it in cases of what they called “damp-heat” accumulation. Paired with green tea, which has its own well-documented association with cardiovascular wellness, this two-ingredient brew becomes a simple daily habit that fits neatly into a wellness-oriented lifestyle.

Method

1. Prepare alisma powder in advance: dry-roast whole alisma rhizome pieces in an ungreased pan (zhong huo, medium heat) until fragrant. Allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder. Store in a sealed jar.
2. Place 2 teaspoons of alisma powder and 2 teaspoons of loose green tea into a teapot or large mug.
3. Pour in hot water (just off the boil).
4. Steep for 5–10 minutes, then sip. The same leaves can be re-steeped 2–3 times.
5. If using whole alisma pieces instead of powder, simmer in 2 cups of water for at least 20 minutes, then use that liquid to brew the green tea.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key with this tea — and with most food-therapy practices — is consistency over time. Drinking it occasionally will do little; making it part of your weekly routine, 4–5 cups spread across the week, is where the cumulative benefit lies. If you cannot find alisma powder at a herb shop, you can buy whole alisma pieces and simmer them yourself before brewing the tea. A little honey stirred in after steeping makes the flavour more agreeable. Nourilo also notes that du zhong leaf tea (Eucommia ulmoides leaf, sold in supermarkets) is another practical option for supporting cholesterol over time, as is a simple daily half-cup of freshly juiced green sweet bell pepper — an approach several medical friends have mentioned to him. These can be alternated with the alisma green tea rather than taken all at once.