Astragalus, Goji and Red Date Warming Tea

Why people make this tea

A friend with weak lung-qi and a cold, weak spleen-and-stomach was about to travel somewhere cold for a while and asked Nourilo what to do. His answer: pack a few homemade tea bags that traditionally warm the stomach, dispel chill, and support the lungs. Dried ginger alone with brown sugar already makes a warming brew for people who are always cold-handed and cold-footed; here Nourilo rounds it out with astragalus, goji, and red dates to support resilience, plus mai dong and tangerine peel for the lungs.

Method

1. Snip the red dates and remove the pits; cut the dried ginger and tangerine peel into fine strips.
2. Put a small pinch of each ingredient into a tea bag.
3. To drink, steep, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Refill with hot water until the tea runs pale.

Nourilo’s Tips

Buy the thin “original-cut” astragalus slices — they steep more easily. Snip the red dates into pieces and pit them so they give up their flavor faster.