Herbal & Flower Teas
Prince's Ginseng, Sour Plum and Licorice Tea
traditionally used to replenish qi, generate fluids, and ease symptoms of a cough that has worn the body down
In short: Prince's Ginseng, Sour Plum and Licorice Tea is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to replenish qi, generate fluids, and ease symptoms of a cough that has worn the body down. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, children's wellness, energy & vitality. Total time about 25 min. Key ingredients: licorice root, rock sugar.
Why people make this tea
When a cough lingers for weeks — especially in young children who have been taking Western medicine — it can leave the whole system feeling run down: poor appetite, low energy, a dry mouth, and that general sense that the body just has not fully recovered. In traditional Chinese dietary thinking, a prolonged cough is said to “injure the lung yin” — drawing on the body’s fluids and quieter restorative energy. Repeated courses of medicine can also weaken the spleen and stomach, reducing appetite and absorption.
Prince’s ginseng (tai zi shen) is sometimes called “children’s ginseng” because it offers a gentle, clear qi-supporting effect without the warming intensity of regular ginseng — making it ideal for children and for summer use. Paired with sour plum to astringently gather lost fluids, and licorice root to harmonise the formula, this tea is a simple, pleasant-tasting way to help the body rebuild after illness. Nourilo notes it is suitable for all ages and all constitution types.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Licorice root
Compared with placebo plus the same low-calorie diet, licorice extract was associated with greater improvements in body weight, BMI, body fat, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR at 8 weeks.Limitation: Small sample, short 8-week duration, and an extract dose that is not comparable to licorice eaten as food; the authors call for confirmatory research.PubMed 39080737 · 3 more licorice root studies
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- Licorice root: Contains glycyrrhizin. Large amounts or long-term use have been linked to raised blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, and even smaller amounts have caused problems in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or a high-salt diet. Large amounts are unsafe in pregnancy, and it can interact with corticosteroids. Source: NIH NCCIH — Licorice Root
- Ginseng: May interfere with blood clotting, might lower blood sugar and may worsen autoimmune conditions. Some experts advise against it for children and during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Source: NIH NCCIH — Asian Ginseng
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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