Gambir Vine, Chrysanthemum and Hawthorn Tea

Why people make this tea

Gambir vine (gou teng) has drawn research interest for its traditional roles — it is studied for calming, vessel-relaxing and pressure-related effects. Brewed with chrysanthemum and hawthorn into a tea, it is traditionally used to “calm the liver and settle wind,” and is a pleasant everyday brew for older adults wanting to support healthy blood pressure.

Method

1. Rinse the herbs.
2. Simmer in 900 ml of water for about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in rock sugar until dissolved, then serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea is not strongly medicinal in taste and is traditionally regarded as helpful for high blood pressure with dizziness of the “liver-yang rising” type, so it can be sipped regularly. To prevent high blood pressure, this batch can be topped up with hot water and drawn to a lighter brew — about 2 to 3 cups.