Fresh Mulberry and Longan Tea

Why people make this tea

Fresh mulberries have a brief seasonal window each spring and early summer. In Chinese food therapy, they are considered one of the most valuable seasonal fruits for nourishing the blood and yin — the cooling, fluid-like vital substance that supports calm, deep sleep. The berries are associated in TCM with conditions linked to blood and yin deficiency: dizziness, poor sleep, premature greying of the hair, nervous exhaustion, and constipation from dry intestines.

Paired with longan flesh — a dried fruit with a long history in Cantonese tonic cooking — the combination becomes a warming, gently calming tea that settles the heart and supports the mind. Together they make a delicious, naturally sweet beverage that the whole family can enjoy during the season.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Well suited to those who feel mentally worn out, sleep lightly, have difficulty falling asleep, experience forgetfulness, or look pale from anaemia.
• Beneficial for the whole family during mulberry season; the tea can be drunk by two people from one batch.
• Longan is warming in nature — those who are pregnant, prone to inflammation, or in the middle of a fever should moderate their intake of longan.
• The tea is on the sweeter, yin-nourishing side; those with phlegm and damp constitutions should not drink it every day.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Fresh mulberries (xian sang shen zi): Sweet and cooling, mulberries are associated in TCM with nourishing the liver and kidney yin, replenishing blood, lubricating the intestines, and calming the mind. The fresh fruit is more potent than dried but dried (5 qian / ~19 g) can substitute when fresh is unavailable.
• Dried longan flesh (yuan rou): Warm, sweet, and associated with nourishing the heart and settling the spirit. A classic ingredient in sleep and anxiety teas in Cantonese food therapy. It is mildly stimulating, so large amounts are not needed.
• Rock sugar (bing tang): Neutral and mildly moistening. It rounds out the taste and balances the mild tartness of the mulberries.

Ingredients (3 bowls / 2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh mulberries (xian sang shen zi)	1 punnet (~100–150 g)	Rinse gently; use the whole fruit
Dried longan flesh (yuan rou)	~19 g (5 qian)	Rinse briefly
Rock sugar (bing tang)	To taste	Start with a small piece

Method

1. Gently rinse the fresh mulberries in cool water and drain.
2. Rinse the dried longan flesh briefly.
3. Add both ingredients to a pot with 6 bowls (about 1.5 litres) of water.
4. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
5. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 3 bowls.
6. Add rock sugar to taste and stir to dissolve.
7. Serve warm. Eating the mulberries and longan together with the tea enhances the effect.

Bro Niu’s tips

Eat the fruit too — it is sweet and delicious, and the whole-fruit benefit is greater than the liquid alone. This tea is good for two people per batch. If you are lucky enough to find mulberries when they are abundantly in season, consider making a mulberry preserve (sang shen gao): simmer fresh mulberries with longan, goji berries, and red dates together with water and a little rock sugar until it reduces to a thick, jammy consistency. Stored in a clean jar in the fridge, a spoonful stirred into warm water each day is a convenient year-round tonic. If fresh mulberries are unavailable, use 5 qian (about 19 g) of dried mulberries instead.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Mingming): Can I add astragalus (huang qi) to this tea? I have premature grey hair and insomnia. Bro Niu: You can add 3 slices of astragalus (bei qi), 5 qian of prepared he shou wu (processed polygonum root), and 5 qian of lily bulb (bai he) to the same pot. This combination supports calming the nerves and may help with premature greying.

• Q (Ping Ping): Is this tea a one-person serving for one day? Bro Niu: This batch of tea is enough for two people to share.

• Q (annann): My mother has high blood pressure and has had an angioplasty. She suffers from dizziness and severe insomnia — at most she sleeps only 1 to 2 hours. What can help? Bro Niu: Your mother may have carotid artery narrowing causing poor circulation and dizziness. Please tell the doctor, and ask about ginkgo biloba preparations (yin guo ye wan) which can support cerebral blood flow. For the dizziness you can try a soup with banxia (fa xia), poria (fu ling), gastrodia (tian ma), and white atractylodes (bai zhu), each 3 qian, with tangerine peel, licorice, ginger, and red dates, simmered in 5 bowls of water to 2 bowls. Take for 3 consecutive days and observe.

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Published March 14, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.