Fresh Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) Tea with Ginger

Why people make this tea

Bro Niu spotted fresh monk fruit at the supermarket and could not resist testing it. Worried that the fresh fruit would be too cooling on its own, he simmered it with a few ginger slices for about 10 minutes. The brew is clearer and lighter than the dried-fruit version, but pleasantly sweet with a clean aftertaste. Monk fruit has long been valued for moistening the lungs, clearing heat and easing a dry throat and cough — and curiously, although it is about 300 times sweeter than cane sugar, it is traditionally regarded as suitable support for people watching their blood sugar.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People with a dry throat, dry cough or wanting a naturally sweet, soothing tea; traditionally also used as gentle support for those watching blood sugar.
• Monk fruit is cooling, so Bro Niu balances it with ginger. Choose good fruit (see tips). For a child’s lingering cough, a dried-persimmon version is traditionally used.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Monk fruit (luo han guo): Traditionally clears heat, generates fluids, moistens the lungs and eases cough; naturally sweet without raising blood sugar.
• Ginger (sheng jiang): Added to temper the cooling nature of the fresh fruit.
• Dried persimmon (shi bing): In the traditional children’s version, simmered with monk fruit to soothe a stubborn cough.

Ingredients (2–3 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh monk fruit	1	Crushed / broken open
Fresh ginger	a few slices	To balance the cooling nature
Dried persimmon	1 (optional)	For a children’s cough version

Method

1. Crush or break open the fresh monk fruit.
2. Add it to water with a few slices of ginger.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Strain and drink warm. (Alternatively, simmer crushed monk fruit with a piece of dried persimmon as a gentle tea for a child’s lingering cough.)

Bro Niu’s tips

When buying monk fruit, choose large fruit with a deep brown, unbroken skin and no scorched patches. Shake it gently — if it rattles, the quality is poor (often over-fired during drying). Bro Niu still finds the dried fruit more fragrant than the fresh, so use whichever you prefer.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Milk): My twins still have a bit of a cough, especially in the morning — can I add anything to the garlic-and-onion brew? Bro Niu: The onion-and-garlic water already helps clear the nose and ease the cough; try 3 doses first. The babies are very young, so use as little medicinal material as possible.

• Q (Milk): My 7.5-month-old twins (born premature) have a runny nose and cough with congestion at night — what can I give them? Bro Niu: Try 8 cloves of garlic, crushed, with 1 onion peeled and cut up, plus a little rock sugar; simmer 4 bowls of water down to 2 and give the babies a day’s worth as needed. It helps clear the airways and ease symptoms — about 3 doses.

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Published December 1, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.