Green Olive, Golden Monk Fruit & Dried Pear Tea

Why people make this tea

Dry weather is hard on the body’s moisture — and no part of the body shows it faster than the throat and lungs. Bro Niu recommends leaning into moistening foods during dry seasons: pears, apples, sugarcane, lily bulb, and honey are all good daily choices. He also advises limiting the foods that worsen dryness and heat — coffee, deep-fried foods, and spicy seasonings among them.

This particular tea is one of his favourites for dry-weather throat support. The combination of green olives, golden monk fruit, and dried pear creates a naturally sweet, clean-tasting drink that soothes the throat and lungs while gently supporting the digestive system. It is especially good for anyone who uses their voice a lot, or whose throat suffers from smoking or alcohol.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family, young and old
• Especially helpful for those with a dry, sore, or hoarse throat; dry cough; constipation; stomach heat; or acute tonsillitis
• Particularly recommended for people who smoke or drink heavily
• People with a cold, weak constitution should drink it in moderation; the tea leans slightly cooling
• If fresh pears or apples are available, use those instead of the dried pear — they work just as well and are even more moistening

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Green olives (qing lan): Astringent and slightly sweet; traditionally associated with clearing throat heat, generating saliva and body fluids, and easing hoarseness; also said to counteract fish and seafood toxins
• Golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo): Low-temperature dehydrated fresh monk fruit; retains more of the natural sweetness without smoky flavour; associated with soothing the throat, moistening the lungs and intestines, and supporting blood sugar balance
• Dried pear slices (li gan): Pear is one of the classic cooling, moistening fruits; in its dried form it is concentrated and particularly good for autumn lung dryness, dry cough, and constipation caused by insufficient fluids

Ingredients (5 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Green olives (qing lan)	10–15 pieces	Rinse; lightly crush each with the flat of a knife
Golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo)	1 whole fruit	Crush or break into pieces
Dried pear slices (li gan)	2 liang (~75 g)	Remove any cores; rinse briefly

Method

1. Rinse the green olives; lightly crush each one with the flat of a knife to help release their flavour.
2. Crush or break the monk fruit into pieces.
3. Remove any remaining cores from the dried pear slices and rinse.
4. Place all ingredients into a pot with 7 bowls (approximately 1.75 litres) of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat, cover, and steep for a further 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm; drink throughout the day.

Bro Niu’s tips

Golden monk fruit has a natural sweetness that is clean and not cloying — quite different from the smoked version. This tea is pleasant for the whole family and especially effective for voice hoarseness or dry throat caused by too much talking, smoking, or drinking. For constipation relief, add 4 dried figs (wu hua guo) to the pot. If fresh pears or apples are in season, use fresh instead of dried — they are even better. The tea can be refilled once or twice.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader, 澳洲): I live in Australia and cannot find green olives. What can I use as a substitute? Bro Niu: You can substitute 4 dried figs (wu hua guo) for the green olives — they also support the throat.

• Q (Anne): I have a dry, sore throat, white-coated tongue, and irregular bowels. What would you recommend? Bro Niu: This tea is ideal for your situation. Since fresh ducks pears (ya li) are in season right now, use 2 fresh pears instead of the dried pear for an even better result. If your bowels are not moving well, add 4 dried figs to the pot too.

• Q (meimei): Is the monk fruit and dried pear combination too cooling? Bro Niu: It does lean slightly cooling. Add some tangerine peel (chen pi) and sweet almonds (nan xing) to balance it.

---

Published September 21, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.