Ginger, Red Date, Licorice and Ginseng Tea

Why people make this tea

Red dates (da zao) are an everyday food that, perhaps surprisingly, are traditionally associated with calming an allergy-prone constitution. Nourilo pairs them with licorice, ginger and a little ginseng to make a simple, pleasant wellness tea. It is traditionally taken by people with a sensitive constitution who get a nagging, hard-to-shake cough, shortness of breath, low energy and a dry mouth.

Method

1. Put all ingredients in a vacuum flask.
2. Rinse once with boiling water, then refill with boiling water.
3. Steep about 15 minutes before drinking. You can re-steep until the flavor fades.

Nourilo’s Tips

For the ginseng you can use Korean, Jilin or sun-dried ginseng — use a small amount, two or three slices, mainly to move qi. Ginseng is not for young children; substitute tai zi shen (11 g). You can use about 250 ml of boiling water to steep, and re-steep several times.