American Ginseng, Ophiopogon & Longan Tea (Hua Qi Shen Mai Dong Yuan Rou Cha)

Why people make this tea

Hong Kong and other busy cities breed a very specific kind of exhaustion: overworked, under-slept, mentally wired yet physically drained. Traditional Chinese medicine calls this a pattern of yin deficiency with rising fire — the body’s cooling, restorative resources are depleted, so inner heat rises, causing dry mouth, bitter taste, restlessness, and difficulty falling asleep even when tired. American ginseng (unlike regular Asian ginseng) is cooling and moistening rather than warming and stimulating, making it the herb of choice for this pattern. Paired with the soothing ophiopogon root and the calming, slightly sweet longan, it makes a tea that is both nourishing and genuinely pleasant to drink in the evening.