American Ginseng, Longan and Sour Date Seed Tea

Why people make this tea

Studies suggest a striking proportion of Hong Kong residents experience some degree of nervous exhaustion — and the pattern is familiar well beyond that city. Persistent emotional strain, whether it shows up as inexplicable irritability, gnawing anxiety, difficulty switching off, or lying awake at 2 a.m. staring at the ceiling, has a way of wearing people down quietly over months or years.

Traditional Chinese food therapy has long recognised a pattern where overwork depletes the “heart-qi” and “blood,” leading to exactly these kinds of symptoms — a restless, under-nourished mind-body system. This tea is Nourilo’s practical answer for everyday support: three gentle ingredients that can be steeped together in minutes, with a drizzle of honey to finish.

Method

1. Place the American ginseng slices, longan flesh, and sour date seeds in a teapot or heatproof mug.
2. Pour boiling water over the ingredients.
3. Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in a drizzle of honey and sip slowly.
5. Refill with boiling water and steep again until the flavour fades.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea has a clear, pleasant fragrance and a gentle honeyed sweetness. It can be enjoyed by both men and women. For the elderly who wake in the early hours and cannot sleep again, try this tea in the evening, but omit the American ginseng in the evening dose. For those who have internal heat or an active cold with heavy phlegm, this tea is not suitable — try instead: simmering 19 g each of night-blooming jasmine stem (ye jiao teng), dry-fried sour date seeds, and poria with pine root (fu shen) in 1.5 L of water down to 600 ml, which provides similar calming support without the warming effect.