Hawthorn, Malt, and Radish Seed Tea

Why people make this tea

After a holiday meal — or really any occasion involving mooncakes, roast meats, or a particularly generous spread — Bro Niu reaches for this simple three-ingredient tea. Where the roselle-hawthorn combination focuses on fat and blood metabolism, this formula targets the classical TCM concept of “food stagnation”: the heavy, overfull, distended feeling when food sits in the stomach without moving along as it should. All three ingredients in this tea have a long history as digestive aids in Chinese folk medicine, and together they cover most types of after-meal discomfort.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for most healthy adults and older children with a distended stomach, loss of appetite, or sluggish digestion after heavy eating.
• The 37 g of each ingredient makes a family-sized batch; one full portion (3–4 cups) serves 3–4 people.
• Pregnant women should replace hawthorn with a modest increase in malt — but then breastfeeding mothers, take note: malt (mai ya) is one of the classical herbs used in Chinese medicine to reduce or stop milk production. If you are breastfeeding, omit the malt entirely and use hawthorn and radish seeds only.
• Those with a 15-month-old or older can give children a half-cup serving.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Hawthorn berries (shan zha): The standout digestive ingredient in Chinese folk medicine — particularly effective at breaking down fats and meats. Hawthorn is warming and stimulates the movement of food through the digestive system.
• Stir-fried barley malt (chao mai ya): The roasted form of sprouted barley is a classic spleen tonic and digestive aid in TCM. It promotes the smooth downward movement of food and relieves fullness and belching. It also has a well-known traditional use for reducing breast milk, so breastfeeding mothers must avoid it.
• Radish seeds (lai fu zi / Raphanus sativus seeds): A pungent, descending herb that helps move gas and food stagnation in the stomach and intestines. Especially helpful for bloating and belching with a feeling of pressure.

Ingredients (3–4 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Hawthorn berries (shan zha)	37 g (1 liang)	Dried slices from herb shop
Stir-fried barley malt (chao mai ya)	37 g (1 liang)	Must be the pre-roasted form
Radish seeds (lai fu zi)	19 g (5 qian)
Water	6 bowls (~1.5 L)	To yield about 4 bowls of tea

Method

1. Rinse all three ingredients briefly in cool water.
2. Place in a pot with 6 bowls of water.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook for 45 minutes until the liquid reduces to approximately 4 bowls.
5. Strain and serve warm. The tea has a slightly tart, malty flavour and needs no sweetener, though a small amount of honey can be added if desired.

Bro Niu’s tips

• This tea is suitable for the whole family as a digestive aid. A child aged 15 months or older can drink about half a cup.
• Pregnant women: replace hawthorn with extra barley malt if using this for indigestion — but read the breastfeeding caution above.
• Breastfeeding mothers: use only hawthorn and radish seeds, omitting the malt entirely.
• If you experience persistent bloating and gas unrelated to overeating, Bro Niu suggests looking into a Chinese herbal formula containing xiang fu and sha ren (available as prepared pills like Xiang Sha Yang Wei Wan) or seeing a practitioner for a tailored approach.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (MICKEY): I often feel my stomach is very bloated and gassy — what should I drink? Bro Niu: This tea works well for that. You could also try Xiang Sha Yang Wei Wan (available at Chinese herbal pharmacies) for a convenient prepared option. Alternatively, use xiang fu and sha ren at 3 qian each, with dang shen at 3 qian, cooked in water with a couple of honey dates — 5 bowls of water to 2 bowls of soup, two or three times a week.

• Q (Angel): What does radish seed (lai fu zi) do? You said breastfeeding mothers should not use it? Bro Niu: Radish seeds have the function of supporting the spleen and moving food stagnation. However, they also have a mild “returning milk” effect, meaning they can reduce breast milk supply — so nursing mothers should leave this ingredient out.

• Q (reader, zslqjr): Is this tea for one person or the whole family? Can a 15-month-old child drink it? Bro Niu: This batch serves 3–4 people. A child of 15 months can have about half a cup — it has a mild digestive and appetite-stimulating effect suitable for toddlers.

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Published October 1, 2012 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.