Colored Chrysanthemum Honey Tea (Cai Ju Mi Cha)

Why people make this tea

Tibetan colored chrysanthemum is a naturally multicolored, wild-harvested bloom from the plateau — not the dyed variety sometimes encountered in the market. One steep produces a fragrant, lightly sweet tea with a gentle, refreshing quality. Traditional wisdom associates chrysanthemum broadly with dispersing wind and clearing heat from the liver channel — the liver being the organ most closely linked, in Chinese medicine, with the health of the eyes. So a cup of chrysanthemum tea is something people reach for when their eyes feel hot, tired, or strained after a long day. The honey addition softens the slightly bitter edge and makes it more soothing.

This is also a pleasant tea to have before bed if your mind is a little wired — its calming quality can support a smoother transition to sleep.

Method

1. Place the chrysanthemum blooms in a cup or small teapot.
2. Pour a little boiling water over them first to rinse, then discard that water.
3. Add fresh boiling water and steep for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in honey to taste and enjoy warm.
5. The blooms can typically be steeped one more time.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea is cooling in nature, so while it is excellent for clearing heat from tired eyes and calming an overactive mind, it is not something to drink every single day long-term — especially if you tend to run cold or have a sensitive stomach. Two to three times a week is a comfortable rhythm for most people. If you have trouble sleeping, try drinking a cup about an hour before bed. Colored chrysanthemum is available at Chinese or Asian herb shops and online.