Toasted Cassia Seed, Chrysanthemum & Lotus Leaf Tea

Why people make this tea

Modern working life makes fatty liver surprisingly common: long desk hours, irregular meals, too much takeaway food heavy on meat and light on vegetables, chronic stress — all of these gradually overload the liver’s fat-processing capacity, often without any obvious symptoms until it has been building for years. Nourilo’s recommendation is a practical one: keep a jar of this three-ingredient tea blend on your office desk. Before you reach for a snack, brew a cup. The combination of toasted cassia seeds (an excellent traditional “scraper” of intestinal fat), chrysanthemum flowers (cooling, liver-supporting, and eye-protecting), and toasted lotus leaf (classically used to reduce fat and cholesterol absorption) creates a tea that is pleasant to drink, mildly fragrant, and associated with supporting healthy liver function and cholesterol management. It is easy to prepare in bulk and brew throughout the day.

Method

1. Toast the cassia seeds (if not pre-toasted): Place in a dry pan over medium heat and stir for 5–7 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool completely.
2. Measure 1 tablespoon each of cassia seeds, chrysanthemum, and lotus leaf into a reusable tea bag or infuser.
3. Place the filled tea bag in a teapot or large mug.
4. Rinse once with boiling water; discard this first rinse.
5. Pour in fresh boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.
6. Drink throughout the day, re-steeping with fresh boiling water until the flavour is exhausted.

Nourilo’s Tips

• If you buy pre-toasted cassia seeds (shu jue ming zi), you can use them directly without further toasting.
• To make in bulk: toast a large batch of cassia seeds, cool completely, then mix with chrysanthemum and lotus leaf in a ratio of 1:1:1 and store in a sealed glass jar. Each day scoop 3 tablespoons (one of each) into a tea bag.
• For cold constitutions: adding hawthorn (shan zha) reduces the cooling nature; you can also add a small drizzle of honey to the brewed tea.
• This tea also supports eyesight and is associated with supporting management of the “three highs” — obese individuals especially may benefit from regular consumption.