Dendrobium Flower Tea

Why people make this tea

Dendrobium (shi hu) is one of the more celebrated herbs in Chinese tonic medicine — the stem is used in soups and congees for nourishing stomach yin and body fluids, while the dried flowers are a rarer, more delicate product that has become more widely available in specialist herb-and-flower tea shops. What makes dendrobium flower tea special is that it carries the full nourishing profile of the stem — stomach support, liver clarifying, eye brightening — with an additional layer of mood-lifting and fatigue-easing qualities. Though the dried flowers are not always stocked at mainstream Chinese medicine shops, they can be found at specialist herb-and-flower tea retailers, and 38 g goes a long way. For anyone whose days are filled with meetings, screens, and social obligations, this is a beautifully restorative little cup of tea.

Method

1. Place the dried dendrobium flowers into a teapot or cup.
2. Pour in boiling water.
3. Steep for about 5 minutes — no longer, to preserve the volatile oils.
4. Pour and drink. The tea can be re-steeped once or twice.

Nourilo’s Tips

This flower tea has a light, clean, faintly grassy fragrance. Because it contains volatile oils, do not leave it steeping for a long time — a short, firm brew of 5 minutes is ideal. Dendrobium flower tea is a thoughtful choice for people with high work pressure or busy social lives — it is a restorative, not a stimulant. Look for it at specialist herb-and-flower tea shops; the herb is very light in weight, so even a small quantity yields many brews.