Gynura bicolor Tea (Purple-Backed Velvet Plant Tea)

Why people make this tea

Summer heat is a real thing in Chinese medicine — not just “it’s hot outside,” but a specific pattern where too much heat and sun exposure begin to interfere with how the body regulates fluid, energy, and mood. Gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui) is a plant with a distinctive purple underside to its leaves, sold dried at Chinese herbal shops. It has a naturally pleasant sweet-tart taste, which makes it easier to drink than many medicinal teas. Traditional Cantonese practitioners reach for it in summer as a general heat-clearing tonic, and it has an additional well-known use for supporting women with period pain or irregular bleeding — something that sets it apart from most other summer teas.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for most adults and children for general summer heat relief
• Particularly useful for women experiencing menstrual pain or blood-type menstrual irregularities
• Traditional sources also associate gynura bicolor with supporting the immune response to parasites and viruses
• Pregnant women must NOT drink this tea
• Those who want to moderate the cooling nature of the herb (for example, kitchen workers exposed to high heat) can add a small amount of brown sugar to the preparation, which offsets some of the cooling effect

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui): A herb used in Cantonese food therapy for clearing heat and toxins, moistening the lungs, stopping cough, relieving summer heat, generating fluids, and supporting blood regulation in women; it is also traditionally noted for its ability to support the body’s resistance to parasites and viruses
• Rock sugar (bing tang): Balances and rounds out the slight tartness of the herb; a mild moistening agent for the throat and lungs

Ingredients (2–3 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui)	3 qian (~11 g)	Available at most Chinese herbal shops
Rock sugar (bing tang)	To taste	Add after cooking

Method

1. Rinse the dried gynura bicolor under cold water.
2. Place in a small pot with 4 bowls (about 1 litre) of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Strain and serve warm or at room temperature. Chilled is particularly refreshing in summer.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is delicious chilled and can be enjoyed as a cold drink on hot days. Most Chinese herbal shops carry dried gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui). If you want to serve leftovers the next day, remove the cooked herbs from the liquid before storing — leaving the plant material soaking in the liquid overnight can lead to unwanted fermentation by-products. Those who work in hot kitchen environments and are regularly exposed to cooking flames can reduce the herb’s cooling intensity by adding a small amount of brown sugar (hong tang) while cooking.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (火马峻星): My nephew works as a chef and is exposed to high levels of cooking-fire heat every day. Can zi bei tian kui help clear that kind of heat? And how can I reduce its cooling nature if he uses it regularly? Bro Niu: Adding brown sugar when preparing the tea will reduce its cooling nature and make it more suitable for regular use. You can also cook青萝卜 (green radish) frequently in soups to help clear the accumulated heat from kitchen fire exposure.

• Q (kee1778): I have just had a blood test showing borderline high cholesterol, and I also have anemia due to uterine fibroids. Is there something suitable for me? Bro Niu: For high cholesterol, try steeping du zhong leaf (eucommia leaf) as a daily tea — it tonifies the liver and kidneys without being warming, and is fine for people with anemia. For a nourishing soup, try a red beetroot, tomato, carrot and cabbage soup — it supports both blood building and cholesterol management, and is naturally sweet.

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Published July 16, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.