Plantain Herb and Corn Silk Tea (Che Qian Cao and Corn Silk)

Why people make this tea

Gout arises when uric acid builds up in the joints, causing sudden, intense pain — often first felt at night in the big toe. Traditional Cantonese food therapy has long used plantain herb (che qian cao) as a diuretic herb to help the kidneys flush out excess fluid and reduce damp-heat in the body. Corn silk — the fine strands attached to fresh corn — has a similarly gentle, diuretic quality and is one of the most economical and accessible food-therapy ingredients there is. Together, they make a light, pleasant herbal tea that Nourilo recommends as a regular drink for those managing gout or prone to urinary tract discomfort in hot, humid weather.