Black Bean Calming Tea (Hei Dou An Shen Cha)

Why people make this tea

It is one of the most exhausting experiences a new parent faces: a baby who simply will not settle — crying at odd hours, sleeping fitfully, impossible to soothe. In Cantonese food therapy, one traditional explanation for this pattern in young infants is uncleared “fetal heat” (tai re) — a residual internal heat that the baby may have accumulated before birth if the mother ate warming foods during pregnancy. Whether or not one subscribes to that framework, this little three-ingredient tea has been recommended by Bro Niu to hundreds of worried parents over the years, and the community feedback has been encouraging: many report that after two or three days of the tea, their baby’s sleep visibly improves. The formula is notably gentle — black bean is neutral in nature, liquorice is mild and sweet, and rush pith is only slightly cooling — making this one of the more balanced and reassuring options in infant food therapy.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for infants and young children who are restless, fretful, crying frequently at night, or sleeping poorly
• Can be used as a nursing tea: breastfeeding mothers drink it about 30 minutes before feeding, and the baby receives the benefit through the milk
• Can also be given directly to the baby in small amounts, or used as a pre-feed “kai nai cha” (nursing warm-up tea)
• Also helpful for adults or older children with heart or stomach heat, or mouth ulcers — increase the black bean quantity in that case
• Babies with G6PD deficiency (favism): liquorice root is safe for G6PD babies according to Bro Niu
• Not overly cooling; neutral enough for regular short-term use
• If no rush pith is available, use 20 g (5 qian) dried lily bulb (bai he) as a substitute — it also has a calming effect

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Black soybeans with green kernel (qing ren hei dou): Neutral in nature. Traditionally associated with nourishing yin, calming the spirit, tonifying blood, and supporting the liver and kidneys. The green-kernel variety is preferred for this recipe.
• Liquorice root (gan cao): Sweet, neutral, and widely used in Chinese herbal formulas to harmonise other ingredients and soothe irritation. Mild and safe for young children.
• Rush pith (deng xin cao): Slightly cooling and light. Traditionally used to clear heat from the heart channel and promote urination, helping to discharge internal heat that may be causing restlessness. Very light and safe.

Ingredients (2 cups — give in small doses per feeding)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Black soybeans, green kernel variety	20 g (5 qian)	Soak in water for 1 hour, discard soaking water before using
Liquorice root	4 g (1 qian)	Available at Chinese herbal medicine shops
Rush pith (deng xin cao)	6 small bundles	Available at Chinese herbal medicine shops; very light in weight
Water	5 bowls (~1.25 litres)

Method

1. Soak the black beans in cold water for 1 hour. Discard the soaking water.
2. Rinse the liquorice root and rush pith gently.
3. Place all three ingredients with 5 bowls of water in a pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the liquid reduces to roughly 2 bowls.
5. Strain and allow to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature before giving to baby.
6. For breastfeeding mothers: drink 30 minutes before feeding so the baby benefits through the milk.
7. Serve over 1–2 days; repeat for a second round of 2–3 days if needed.

Bro Niu’s tips

Black beans for this tea do not need to be pan-fried first (that is only necessary if you are making a cold-steeped tea). For black beans used in a simmered tea like this, just soak and rinse. If you want to add lotus seeds for extra calming effect, use lotus seeds with the green embryo intact (you xin lian zi, 20 g) — the embryo has the most heart-clearing action. Frequency: once improvement is seen, 2–3 times per week as a maintenance tea until the baby settles consistently.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Joyce): My 2-month-old daughter keeps waking up and only sleeps when I hold her. Would this black bean tea help? Bro Niu: Yes, you can try this tea. When she wakes, try not to pick her up immediately — pat her gently first to see if she settles on her own. Check if the nappy is wet or if she is hungry. After ruling those out, try soothing without lifting. You can also try this tea.

  (Follow-up from Joyce): My baby’s sleep improved a lot after drinking the black bean tea! How often can a 2-month-old have it? Bro Niu: Once symptoms improve, give it 2–3 times a week as a maintenance tea. Stop when she is settled consistently.

• Q (kk): My 6-month-old takes a long time to fall asleep every evening and has developed heat rash. Can she drink this tea? Bro Niu: A 6-month-old can drink this tea. For the heat rash, slice a clean cucumber and gently wipe the affected areas 2–3 times a day — it helps cool the rash. After 15 minutes, wipe off with a damp cloth and then apply heat rash powder if you like.

• Q (Juliana): If I can’t find rush pith (deng xin cao), can I substitute with dried pear? Bro Niu: Dried pear is not quite the right substitute. It’s better to use dried lily bulb (bai he, 20 g) — it also calms the heart and spirit.

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Published February 1, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.