Hawthorn Honeysuckle Chrysanthemum Tea

Why people make this tea

City life often means rich, refined food and a lot of meat with too few vegetables, and blood lipids can creep up quietly without us noticing. Bro Niu likes this little tea because the dried hawthorn, honeysuckle and chrysanthemum are easy to keep in a teabag and steep anywhere — even at your desk. It is traditionally enjoyed to support healthy blood lipids and cholesterol while keeping you cool and refreshed.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Middle-aged and older adults who want a simple daily tea to support healthy blood lipids and cholesterol, especially in hot weather.
• Pregnant women should not drink herbal-flower teas like this one.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Hawthorn (shan zha): Traditionally used to aid digestion of rich, fatty meals and associated with supporting healthy blood lipids.
• Honeysuckle (jin yin hua): Traditionally regarded as cooling and cleansing, associated with clearing summer heat.
• Chrysanthemum (ju hua): Traditionally used to cool and brighten, often paired with the above for a fragrant, refreshing brew.

Ingredients (1 pot)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Hawthorn (shan zha)	1 tbsp	Dried slices
Honeysuckle (jin yin hua)	1 tbsp	Dried flower
Chrysanthemum (ju hua)	1 tbsp	Dried flower

Method

1. Place all the ingredients into a teabag pouch.
2. Drop the pouch into a vacuum flask and rinse once with boiling water, then pour off.
3. Pour in fresh boiling water, cover and steep for 5 minutes.
4. Sip; you can keep refilling with hot water until the flavour fades.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is lightly fragrant with a gentle sourness; it is traditionally said to whet the appetite, encourage saliva, and cool the body, making it lovely for hot summer days. Remember: pregnant women should not use herbal-flower teas.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Clee): Bro Niu, if I can’t find honeysuckle, what can I use instead? Bro Niu: Without honeysuckle, you could use about 3 qian (~11 g) of lotus leaf, or 3 qian of dry-fried cassia seed (jue ming zi) instead — both are traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood pressure, blood lipids and cholesterol.

• Q (KK): Hi Bro Niu, my mother often has lower-back pain and weak legs. Is there a food-therapy idea to help? Bro Niu: First check whether she has osteoporosis. Day to day she can use prepared sang ji sheng (mulberry mistletoe) 1 liang, black soybean 1 liang, lotus seed 1 liang, 6 red dates, and a little brown sugar; simmer in 7 bowls of water for 1 hour down to 4 bowls, taken as 2 bowls a day. Ideally one batch every other day — traditionally used to support the liver and kidney, strengthen the sinews and bones, and dispel wind-damp.

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Published June 1, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.