Fresh Cogongrass Root and Corn Silk Tea

Why people make this tea

Abdominal obesity is one of the main drivers of fatty liver — the fat cells around the belly are particularly active, flooding the liver with fatty acids and causing fat to accumulate. Common signs that traditional Chinese food therapy associates with this pattern include easy hunger, bloating, constipation, fatigue, afternoon sleepiness, and a feeling of heaviness. This two-ingredient tea is wonderfully simple: fresh cogongrass root (a grass whose white root is used in southern Chinese cooking and medicine) paired with the silky threads from inside a corn husk — things that might otherwise be discarded. Together they make a lightly fragrant tea that is associated in traditional practice with clearing damp-heat, supporting the liver and gallbladder, reducing water retention, and gently lowering blood pressure. Nourilo notes it is suitable for the whole family, including young children.