Herbal & Flower Teas

Ume Plum, Licorice and Chrysanthemum Tea

Traditionally soothes an irritable, allergy-triggered cough and dry, scratchy throat

In short: Ume Plum, Licorice and Chrysanthemum Tea is a herbal & flower tea that Traditionally soothes an irritable, allergy-triggered cough and dry, scratchy throat. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, sleep & calm. Total time about 10 min. Key ingredients: licorice root slices, chrysanthemum.

Prep
3 min
Cook
7 min
Total
10 min
Makes
1 pot
Ume Plum, Licorice and Chrysanthemum Tea

Why people make this tea

Nourilo has personal experience with this one. Years of teaching long classes meant overusing his voice, and an overworked, dry throat almost always leads to an irritable cough — the kind that does not come from infection but from the throat simply being dry, raw, or reactive. During allergy season, or after a period of stress and overwork, this kind of cough can linger for weeks. The three ingredients in this tea each address a different part of the problem: ume plum has an astringent, gathering quality that helps settle a persistent cough and moisten dry lung tissue; licorice is anti-inflammatory and soothing; and chrysanthemum disperses the kind of wind-heat that tends to trigger an irritable, itchy-throat cough in the first place. Together they make a pleasantly tart, easy-to-drink tea that can be sipped throughout the day.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Licorice root · Randomized controlled trial, 66 participants · 2024
    Compared with placebo plus the same low-calorie diet, licorice extract was associated with greater improvements in body weight, BMI, body fat, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR at 8 weeks.Limitation: Small sample, short 8-week duration, and an extract dose that is not comparable to licorice eaten as food; the authors call for confirmatory research.PubMed 39080737 · 3 more licorice root studies
  • Chrysanthemum · Randomized controlled trial, 37 participants · 2023
    Compared with the high-fat meal alone, the extract group had lower postprandial glucose at 1 hour and higher antioxidant markers (T-AOC, SOD, GSH), with lower MDA. Incremental area under the curve did not differ significantly between groups.Limitation: Small sample of healthy young adults given a single high-fat meal, so longer-term effects and effects in people with metabolic conditions are unknown.PubMed 36677639 · 1 more chrysanthemum study

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Licorice root: Contains glycyrrhizin. Large amounts or long-term use have been linked to raised blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, and even smaller amounts have caused problems in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or a high-salt diet. Large amounts are unsafe in pregnancy, and it can interact with corticosteroids. Source: NIH NCCIH — Licorice Root

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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