Herbal & Flower Teas
Green Olive, Mandarin Cake and Sweet Almond Tea
Traditionally used to ease children's cough, phlegm, and airway sensitivity
Why people make this tea
Children who start school quickly discover that the classroom is also a very efficient way to share respiratory viruses. Small children don’t know how to cough phlegm up and out, so when they don’t drink enough water, mucus accumulates in the airways and sets the stage for repeated infections and sensitivity. The challenge for parents is finding something the child will actually drink — most bitter or strongly medicinal teas meet immediate resistance. This simple tea has a mild, slightly sour-sweet flavour that most children accept without complaint. Green olives soothe and clear the throat; dried mandarin cake dissolves phlegm (the white dusting on the outside of a good mandarin cake is the naturally fermented active part — don’t wash it all off); and sweet almonds gently open the airways and moisten the lungs.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for children of all ages, including infants (for babies under 1 year, substitute the mandarin cake with one-sixth of a monk fruit / luo han guo)
- Also suitable for adults — simply increase the quantities slightly
- Safe during pregnancy
- If green olives are unavailable, substitute with 3–4 dried figs (wu hua guo)
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh green olives (qing gan): Soothe and clear the throat; contain natural astringents that help ease cough and reduce irritation; notably high in calcium among fruits
- Dried mandarin cake (jie bing): A traditional preserved mandarin preparation whose white surface coating is naturally fermented and considered the most active part for dissolving phlegm and stopping cough; rinse only gently so this coating is preserved
- Sweet apricot kernels / south almonds (nan xing / tian xing ren): Gently open and moisten the lungs; stop cough; much milder than bitter almonds and suitable for daily use
Ingredients (2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh green olives | 7–8 pieces | Wash, then press flat with the side of a knife blade |
| Dried mandarin cake | 1 piece | Rinse gently; do not remove the white coating; cut into small pieces |
| Sweet apricot kernels | 1 tablespoon | Rinse |
| Water | 4 bowls (~1 L) | Reduces to 2 bowls |
Method
- Wash the green olives and press them flat with the flat of a knife — they do not need to be fully crushed, just loosened so they release their flavour.
- Rinse the mandarin cake gently (preserve the white coating) and cut into small pieces.
- Rinse the sweet almonds.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 4 bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until reduced to about 2 bowls.
- Serve warm.
Bro Niu’s tips
When choosing a mandarin cake (jie bing), look for one whose white coating is dry, evenly distributed, and does not feel sticky or wet to the touch. Natural fermentation coating will not stick to your fingers; sugar-dusted imitations feel damp and tacky. This tea is gentle enough for daily use during a bout of cough or airway sensitivity. Adults can increase the amounts slightly. If there is no green olive available, three to four dried figs work as a substitute. For infants under 1 year, replace the mandarin cake with one-sixth of a monk fruit (luo han guo).
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Phoebe): My 4-year-old son has had persistent cough from an upper respiratory infection for over a month. He coughs more at night, has yellow phlegm, and the doctor says it is airway sensitivity. Can he drink this tea? Bro Niu: You can use 15 green olives (pressed flat), half a monk fruit, north and south apricot kernels (1 liang), and 8 slices of dried pear, in 8 bowls of water reduced to 4 bowls. This can be divided over 2 days. It helps soothe the throat, dissolve phlegm, and ease cough. Two doses (4 days) in a row.
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Q (Wendy): Can this be drunk in early pregnancy? Bro Niu: Yes, it can be drunk during pregnancy. Green olives have the highest calcium content of any fruit.
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Q (anonymous): How do you press green olives flat? Do they need to be crushed? Bro Niu: Just use the flat side of a knife and press down. They do not need to be completely broken — just loosened enough to release their flavour easily during cooking.
Published December 17, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
