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.