Herbal & Flower Teas
Fresh Dendrobium Orchid and American Ginseng Tea (Xian Shi Hu Hua Qi Shen Cha)
traditionally used to clear heat, generate fluids, relieve dry throat, and support the voice
In short: Fresh Dendrobium Orchid and American Ginseng Tea (Xian Shi Hu Hua Qi Shen Cha) is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to clear heat, generate fluids, relieve dry throat, and support the voice. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, blood sugar balance. Total time about 20 min. Key ingredients: american ginseng.
Why people make this tea
Dendrobium (shi hu) is one of the nine “immortal herbs” listed in a Tang dynasty Taoist text — a list that also includes ginseng, reishi, and caterpillar fungus. This gives you a sense of how highly it has been regarded in Chinese herbal tradition. Its reputation rests primarily on its ability to nourish yin: to replenish the body’s fluids when dryness, heat, or prolonged illness has depleted them.
Fresh dendrobium is available at Chinese herb shops and Asian grocers, or online. It looks like a small succulent plant or a cluster of smooth green-grey stems. The best quality has purple or iron-green colouring; yellowish-green stems are of lower quality but still useful. Combined with American ginseng (which cools and generates fluids without overheating the system the way Asian red ginseng might), this tea is gentle, refreshing, and particularly suited to anyone whose throat, voice, or overall yin has been taxed.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Dendrobium
Salivary flow rate and oral mucosal scores improved more in the Dendrobium group than in the control group using vitamin B12 rinse alone (P < .05). Serum IL-10 rose from baseline, and oral bacterial composition differed.Limitation: Small single-hospital sample; the Dendrobium group also used the B12 rinse, and the abstract does not say whether the control group received a placebo drink.PubMed 39811879 · 2 more dendrobium studies - American ginseng
The change in the general fatigue score was not significantly different from placebo at 4 weeks (P = .07). At 8 weeks, the ginseng group improved more than placebo (20 vs 10.3, P = .003). Toxicities did not differ between arms.Limitation: The primary endpoint at 4 weeks was not statistically significant, and fatigue was self-reported. Benefit appeared greater in people still receiving cancer treatment.PubMed 23853057 · 1 more american ginseng study
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- American ginseng: Has been shown to weaken the effect of warfarin and may lower blood sugar. Talk to your doctor first if you take blood thinners or diabetes medicines. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — American Ginseng
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
Members only
Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips
One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.
- Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
- Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
- One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals
Checking your access…
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Sign in or create a free account, then pay once by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Signed in as ·
Secure checkout by Stripe. One-time payment, no renewals. Access is linked to your Nourilo account and never expires. By paying you agree to our Terms of Use; you can get a full refund within 14 days (refund policy).
Comments
Join the conversation — sign in or create a free account to comment.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments…