Burdock Cassia Honeysuckle Goji Chrysanthemum Tea

Why people make this tea

Spring, in traditional Chinese wellness thinking, is the season associated with the liver. Late nights, overwork, and too much fried or spicy food are believed to generate “liver heat” — a pattern that can show up as bad breath, a bitter taste in the mouth, red or itchy eyes, short-temperedness, difficulty sleeping, and constipation. Bro Niu recommends this five-ingredient tea as a gentle seasonal habit for spring — clearing accumulated heat, supporting the liver, and giving the eyes a rest.

The flavour is refreshing: slightly bitter from the cassia seeds, floral from the chrysanthemum and honeysuckle, earthy from the burdock, and sweet from the goji berries. It can be brewed as a pot of tea or packed into individual reusable tea bags for convenience at work.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited to adults and children with signs of excess heat: bitter taste in mouth, dry eyes, bad breath, constipation, irritability
• A good general spring wellness tea for those with a warm or neutral constitution
• Pregnant women must avoid
• Those with G6PD deficiency (favism) must avoid (honeysuckle and other herbs may trigger reactions)
• Cold-constitution individuals (always cold, frequent urination, low energy): if you want to drink this tea, remove the burdock and cassia seeds and substitute dried mandarin cake (ju bing) and tangerine peel (chen pi) instead
• If taking blood pressure medication, consult your doctor before drinking regularly — allow at least 2 hours between medication and herbal teas

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Burdock root (niu bang): Widely used in Japanese and Chinese food therapy; traditionally clears heat, detoxifies, and supports liver function; also used topically for skin conditions
• Cassia seeds (jue ming zi): One of the most studied Chinese food-therapy ingredients for supporting liver health and bowel regularity; traditionally associated with brightening the eyes and gently clearing heat; dry-roasting before steeping brings out more flavour and reduces the raw cooling effect
• Honeysuckle flowers (jin yin hua): A classic “heat-clearing” herb; traditionally used for infections, heat-related inflammation, and skin conditions; fragrant and gentle
• Chrysanthemum (ju hua): Particularly associated with eye health; traditionally calms liver heat, reduces redness and puffiness around the eyes, and eases headaches related to heat
• Goji berries (gou qi zi): Nourish liver and kidney yin; traditionally strengthen eyesight; add a natural sweetness to balance the bitter ingredients

Ingredients (1 pot / 2–3 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried burdock root (niu bang)	1 small handful (~5–8 g)
Cassia seeds (jue ming zi)	1 small handful (~5 g)	Dry-roast lightly in a pan before steeping to improve flavour and reduce raw coldness
Honeysuckle flowers (jin yin hua)	1 small handful (~3–5 g)
Chrysanthemum flowers (ju hua)	1 small handful (~3–5 g)
Goji berries (gou qi zi)	1 small handful (~5–8 g)

Method

1. Rinse all ingredients briefly.
2. Combine with 4 bowls (~1 litre) of water in a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Strain and drink warm. The same herbs can be re-steeped once more.

For office use: Pack all the ingredients into a large reusable tea bag. Steep in a large mug of boiling water for about 15 minutes. Re-steep until the flavour fades.

Bro Niu’s tips

If you are steeping this as a cold-brew or hot-steep tea rather than boiling it, dry-roast the cassia seeds first in a dry pan until fragrant — this brings out the nutty flavour and makes the tea more pleasant. The tea keeps its fragrance well and can be re-steeped multiple times. The whole family can enjoy this tea, with the exceptions noted above. Cold-constitution individuals who still want something similar can remove the burdock and cassia seeds and add a dried mandarin cake and a piece of tangerine peel instead.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Amy): Does the cassia seed need to be dry-roasted before use? What is the difference in effect? Bro Niu: If you are steeping the tea without boiling, yes — dry-roast the cassia seeds first, as this makes them release their flavour much more easily. If you are boiling the tea in a pot, you can skip the roasting step.

• Q (Cola): What are the signs of a cold constitution? My practitioner said I have liver heat and lung cold — can I still drink this tea? Bro Niu: Cold constitution usually shows up as feeling chilly all the time, cold limbs, liking warm drinks, and frequent urination at night. If you have both liver heat and a cold constitution, you can still try this tea — just remove the burdock and cassia seeds and substitute a dried mandarin cake and tangerine peel instead.

• Q (reader): For a family of four, how much of each ingredient do I use? Bro Niu: For a family of four, the simplest approach is to get some larger reusable tea bags. Fill each bag about 80% full of the mixed herbs. Each person uses their own bag and steeps it in their own cup — re-steeping until the flavour is gone. This way everyone gets the right amount without having to measure out larger quantities.

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Published February 23, 2021 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.