Dried Lychee Tea with Ginger and Aged Tangerine Peel

Why people make this tea

When lychees come into season, there is always a lively debate about which variety is best — Bro Niu is partial to the “Gui Wei” (cassia-fragrant) lychee for its clean, sweet freshness that does not overwhelm. But beyond enjoying the fresh fruit, traditional Chinese food therapy has long made use of the dried lychee — flesh and core together — as a warming, qi-moving remedy for those who suffer from stomach aches aggravated by cold, or menstrual cramps rooted in cold accumulation in the lower abdomen. Paired with the qi-regulating properties of aged tangerine peel and the warming punch of fresh ginger, this simple tea is a practical home remedy with centuries of folk use behind it.

A note of honesty: Bro Niu has also heard online claims that a mixture of crushed lychee cores, rice-washing water, and pork kidney can “cure kidney failure.” A senior physician Bro Niu consulted was quite clear: there is absolutely no basis for that. Lychee cores do have genuine traditional applications — warming the stomach, easing hernia-type pain, and alleviating cold-type menstrual discomfort — but they cannot treat organ failure. If you or someone you know has a serious kidney condition, please see a doctor immediately.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited for those who experience stomach aches that feel better with warmth, menstrual cramps of the cold type (pain relieved by heat pads), prolonged loose stools from spleen weakness, or a general tendency toward feeling cold.
• Those with stomach heat or a bitter taste in the mouth should avoid this tea — it is warming in nature and will not help heat-type patterns.
• Fresh lychees, though wonderful, should not be eaten in large quantities at one sitting as they can cause excessive internal heat. This tea uses the dried form, which is gentler.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Dried lychee (li zhi gan): The flesh is traditionally considered qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing. The core is the key therapeutic element here — it is used in classical Chinese herbalism to move qi, dispel cold, and relieve pain, particularly in the stomach and lower abdomen.
• Aged tangerine peel (chen pi): One of the most widely used qi-regulating herbs in Chinese cooking and medicine. It warms the stomach, transforms dampness, and helps the qi flow smoothly — making it an excellent companion for the lychee core.
• Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): A classic warming ingredient that reinforces the cold-dispelling and stomach-calming effect of the whole formula.

Ingredients (2 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried lychee	~75 g (2 liang)	Shell removed; flesh and core used together
Aged tangerine peel	1 piece	Soak briefly to soften
Fresh ginger	3 slices
Water	4 bowls (~800 ml)

Method

1. Remove the shells from the dried lychees. Keep both the flesh and the cores — use the flat side of a knife or a pestle to crack the cores open slightly.
2. Place the cracked lychee pieces, aged tangerine peel, and fresh ginger into a pot.
3. Add 4 bowls of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium-low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Strain and serve warm. The tea has a naturally sweet, slightly aromatic flavour.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is especially effective for those with spleen weakness and prolonged loose stools, and for cold-type stomach pain. You can take it for up to 5 consecutive doses. Anyone with stomach heat or a bitter taste in the mouth should avoid this tea. While fresh lychees nourish qi and blood, do not overeat them at one sitting — they can cause internal heat to flare.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Fi Fi): When I wake up in the morning my mouth tastes bitter. Is this stomach heat? Bro Niu: A bitter taste on waking tends to suggest heat in the liver and gallbladder, or stomach heat. Try simmering 1 liang (about 30 g) of yinchen (capillary wormwood, mian yin chen) with 2 honeyed dates in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls, and drink for 3 consecutive doses. You can also make a large-soybean sprout and tofu pork broth to help clear stomach fire at the same time.

• Q (Nana): My stomach and belly have been very bloated lately. I am usually constipated but had loose stools the past two days, and I cannot eat much. What soup or congee would help? Bro Niu: You can simmer 1 liang each of fried flat beans (chao bian dou) and euryale seeds (qian shi), along with 3 qian of cardamom (sha ren, added at the end), 1 piece of aged tangerine peel, and 6 red dates with lean pork. This helps strengthen the spleen, stop loose stools, and move stagnant qi. Add the cardamom in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

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Published June 7, 2015 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.