Hyacinth Bean Flower Tea (Nan Dou Hua Cha)

Why people make this tea

There are two varieties of hyacinth bean flower — red and white. The white flower is what you want here. In traditional Chinese medicine, white enters the qi level (the energetic layer associated with respiration, circulation, and transformation), while red enters the blood level and is used differently. The white flower has a long history of use during the humid summer months: it clears summer-heat and dampness, regulates the middle burner (digestive center), and is traditionally associated with calming conditions like summer diarrhea, enteritis, and damp-related vaginal discharge. Brewed on its own, it has a gentle sweetness with a faint, pleasant beaniness — something between a delicate tea and a light tisane.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited to people with loose stools, diarrhea, or poor digestion associated with hot, humid weather or overindulgence in cold or greasy foods
• Those who had surgery and have been advised to avoid blood-activating herbs may drink this freely — it is very gentle
• Generally considered safe for most adults; children may also have it in smaller amounts

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• White hyacinth bean flower (nan dou hua / bai bian dou hua): The flower of the hyacinth bean plant (also known as white lablab bean). In traditional practice it is classified as sweet in flavor and slightly warm in nature; it is said to resolve summer dampness, harmonize the middle jiao (digestive system), and strengthen the spleen. The dried flower turns a golden-yellow color — the shade visible in the cup. Available from Chinese herb shops or Asian grocery stores, it stores well

Ingredients (1 pot, 1 serving)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried white hyacinth bean flower	1 tablespoon (~5 g)	White variety only — not red

Method

1. Place the dried flowers in a small teapot or infuser.
2. Pour off the first rinse of just-boiled water immediately (this cleans the flowers).
3. Re-fill with freshly boiled water and steep for 5 minutes.
4. Pour and drink. The flowers can typically be re-steeped once more.

Bro Niu’s tips

Dried white hyacinth bean flowers are available at Chinese herb shops and Asian grocery stores, and are one of the most affordable herbal teas around. After drying, they turn a warm golden color.

For anyone with spleen-dampness as an underlying pattern (fatigue, bloating, loose stools on a regular basis), a simple compound tea works even better: 10 g each of poria (fu ling), white atractylodes (bai zhu), and hyacinth bean skin (bian dou yi), with a piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi) and 2 honey dates (mi zao) — simmer for 30 minutes. It is not cold in nature.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Helen): My daughter has had stomach pain and loose stools for two days. What should I give her at lunch today — plain congee, and can I make something for her? Bro Niu: Try stir-frying some flat beans (chao bian dou) with qian shi (gordon euryale seeds) and red dates, and make a simple congee with lean pork — about 3 servings will help strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness. If the stools are foul-smelling, add purslane and crushed garlic to lean-pork soup instead — that helps clear bacteria.

• Q (Zhen): My 16-year-old son gets stomach pain and loose stools every morning after breakfast, especially on school days. He seems to have a lot of internal dampness (white-coated tongue). What is going on? Bro Niu: Recurring morning stomach pain should be checked by a doctor first — it could signal a gallstone or digestive issue, not just dampness. If it is dampness, stir-fried flat bean and euryale seed congee with poria and red dates can help.

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Published August 27, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.