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.

Method

1. Place the American ginseng, ophiopogon root, and longan flesh in a teapot.
2. Pour in freshly boiled water.
3. Steep for 10 minutes, then drink.
4. Refill with boiling water 2–3 times until the flavour fades.
5. Eat the longan flesh and ginseng pieces along with the tea for the full benefit.

Nourilo’s Tips

Drink this tea after dinner, and ideally again about an hour before bed — that is when it works best for improving sleep. On the day you drink this tea, skip white daikon radish (it can counteract the ginseng) and avoid strong black or green tea. You can refill the pot two to three times. Do make sure your American ginseng is the genuine article from the United States or Canada — there is a lot of imitation product sold cheaply, and it does not have the same cooling, yin-nourishing quality. A good quality ginseng slice should be slightly bitter, slightly sweet, and have a characteristic earthy-fresh fragrance.