Chrysanthemum Licorice Green Tea

Why people make this tea

Green tea has long been prized for its high catechin content — naturally occurring antioxidant compounds that are most concentrated in unfermented or lightly fermented teas. Chrysanthemum has been used in Chinese food-therapy for centuries to help clear heat from the upper body and soothe the throat. Paired with a touch of liquorice, which is traditionally considered balancing and soothing to the digestive system, this trio makes a pleasant and practical daily brew during the colder months or whenever respiratory bugs are going around. Bro Niu keeps a stash of pre-made tea bags to take along while travelling.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits people with a warm or average constitution looking for a light, antioxidant-rich daily tea during flu season
• People with a cold or weak stomach (spleen-stomach deficiency cold) should not drink large amounts
• Women who are menstruating or pregnant should avoid this tea
• Not a substitute for medical care if you are already ill

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Chrysanthemum (ju hua): Traditionally described as mildly cooling; associated with clearing heat from the head, supporting the eyes, and helping disperse wind-heat from the upper respiratory tract
• Liquorice root (gan cao): Considered neutral in nature; traditionally used to harmonise and balance other herbs, soothe the throat, and support digestive comfort; modern research has noted its anti-inflammatory properties
• Green tea (lü cha): The least fermented of all teas, retaining the highest levels of catechins — polyphenol compounds with strong antioxidant activity; good choices include Longjing (Dragon Well), Biluochun, or Huangshan Maofeng; lightly fermented teas such as oolong also retain 70–80% of their catechins and can be substituted

Ingredients (1 cup / 2–3 re-steeps)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chrysanthemum flowers (ju hua)	10 blooms	Dried; available at Chinese herbal shops
Liquorice root slices (gan cao)	5 slices	Use raw (sheng) liquorice, not honey-processed
Green tea leaves (lü cha)	2 teaspoons	Longjing, Biluochun, or Huangshan Maofeng recommended

Method

1. Place all three ingredients into a tea bag or infuser.
2. Set the tea bag in a cup or teapot.
3. Pour in freshly boiled water.
4. Steep for 7–8 minutes.
5. Drink while warm. The bag can be re-steeped until the flavour is depleted.

Bro Niu’s tips

The key to this tea’s antioxidant benefit is using genuine unfermented green tea — Longjing, Biluochun, and Huangshan Maofeng are all good choices. Lightly fermented teas like oolong and tieguanyin still retain a significant amount of catechins and can work as well. This tea is also said to help with fat metabolism and mild blood-pressure support, but people with a cold constitution should limit their intake. Women should avoid it during menstruation and pregnancy.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (anonymous reader): Can green tea powder be used instead? And is this raw or honey-processed liquorice? Bro Niu: Yes, green tea powder works. Use raw (sheng) liquorice — the honey-processed kind is warming and tonifying, not suitable for clearing heat.

• Q (Susanna): I drank a poria, white atractylodes, and hyacinth bean skin brew and felt dizzy afterwards — was it too cooling? Bro Niu: That combination is not cold at all. The dizziness may have another cause. Try adding 5 red or southern dates (nan zao) to the brew next time to help nourish the blood.

• Q (reader,芊颍妈妈): My husband has had a slight cough for a few days and now his throat is sore and his voice has changed — is there a food-therapy remedy? Bro Niu: Try simmering 1/4 of a golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo), 3 qian banlangen (isatis root), 3 qian pangdahai (boat-fruited sterculia seed), and 1 qian licorice root in 4 bowls of water down to 2 bowls. Take for 3 consecutive doses — this helps reduce throat inflammation.

---

Published February 27, 2020 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.