Nourilo

Herbal & Flower Teas

American Ginseng and Longan Tea

Traditionally used to nourish heart blood, settle the spirit, and ease fatigue, palpitations, and poor sleep

In short: American Ginseng and Longan Tea is a herbal & flower tea that Traditionally used to nourish heart blood, settle the spirit, and ease fatigue, palpitations, and poor sleep. It is most often made for heart & circulation, sleep & calm, energy & vitality. Total time about 12 min. Key ingredients: american ginseng, longan flesh.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
5 min
Cook
7 min
Total
12 min
Makes
1–2 cups
Heart & CirculationSleep & CalmEnergy & VitalityBlood NourishmentEveryday Balance
American Ginseng and Longan Tea

Why people make this tea

A friend brought Nourilo a packet of genuine American ginseng back from a trip to the United States — the kind with those fine chrysanthemum-like patterns in the cross-section and a clean, slightly bitter-sweet fragrance that fills the mouth with saliva long after you swallow. That experience is what inspired this simple tea. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is botanically related to Asian ginseng but has a distinctly different character in Chinese medicine: it is considered cooling and yin-nourishing rather than warm and stimulating, making it more suitable as an everyday tonic for people who run warm, work hard, and tend to feel depleted rather than sluggish.

Pairing it with longan flesh — a classic Cantonese tonic for the heart and mind — creates a tea that is both refreshing and settling. It is the kind of drink that a busy, tired person might reach for when they notice their face is pale, their mind feels scattered, and sleep has not been restful.

Method

  1. Place the sliced American ginseng and the longan flesh into a small teapot or heatproof cup.
  2. Pour boiling water over them.
  3. Cover and steep for 7 minutes.
  4. Pour and drink warm.
  5. You can re-steep the same ginseng and longan several times, refilling with boiling water each time, until the liquid no longer has any taste or colour.

Nourilo’s Tips

The ginseng can be steeped multiple times throughout the day — keep refilling with boiling water until the tea is no longer fragrant. At the end of the day, eat the softened ginseng slices, as the residual root still contains beneficial compounds. When shopping for American ginseng, be wary of imitations: the real thing has tightly packed horizontal markings, a good weight, and a notably bitter-sweet flavour that produces a pleasant, lingering moistness in the mouth. For postpartum mothers who have low energy and are not producing enough milk, adding longan to ginseng-based soups or teas is a popular Cantonese practice — but consult a healthcare provider about postpartum supplement use.

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.

  • American ginseng · Randomized controlled trial · 2013
    The change in the general fatigue score was not significantly different from placebo at 4 weeks (P = .07). At 8 weeks, the ginseng group improved more than placebo (20 vs 10.3, P = .003). Toxicities did not differ between arms.Limitation: The primary endpoint at 4 weeks was not statistically significant, and fatigue was self-reported. Benefit appeared greater in people still receiving cancer treatment.PubMed 23853057 · 1 more american ginseng 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

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

Spot an error? Report a correction

Frequently asked questions

What is this tea traditionally used for?

This two-ingredient tea is traditionally used to nourish heart blood and settle the spirit, and is commonly associated with easing tiredness and supporting restful sleep, as part of a balanced diet. In the Cantonese tradition it is often turned to by those who feel pale, scattered, or sleep poorly.

Why is American ginseng used here rather than Asian ginseng?

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is considered cooling and yin-nourishing in Chinese medicine, rather than warm and stimulating, making it more suitable as an everyday tonic for people who run warm, work hard, and tend to feel depleted rather than sluggish. This cooling quality makes the pairing with longan flesh refreshing as well as settling.

Can I re-steep the same ginseng and longan more than once?

Yes. You can refill the teapot with boiling water and re-steep the same ginseng and longan several times throughout the day, until the liquid no longer has any taste or colour. At the end of the day, you can also eat the softened ginseng slices, as the residual root still contains beneficial compounds.

How long does this tea take to prepare, and how much does it make?

The tea takes about 12 minutes in total — 5 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to steep. A single batch yields 1 to 2 cups.

Is this tea suitable for postpartum mothers?

Adding longan to ginseng-based teas is noted as a popular Cantonese practice for postpartum mothers with low energy, as part of a traditional dietary approach. However, the recipe specifically advises consulting a healthcare provider about postpartum supplement use before trying it.

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