Honeysuckle, Fresh Hawthorn and Honey Tea

Why people make this tea

In traditional Chinese food therapy, not all colds are treated the same way. A “wind-heat” cold — the kind that comes with a fever or strong feeling of internal heat, a sore or dry throat, burning in the nose and mouth, and yellowish urine — calls for cooling, outward-releasing herbs rather than warming ones. This simple tea was put together by Bro Niu from leftover fresh hawthorn (after making the hawthorn berry drink and a hawthorn walnut blend from the same batch of fruit), using honeysuckle flowers and a spoonful of honey. The combination is classically cooling and dispersing: honeysuckle clears heat and toxins from the surface while hawthorn moves stagnation and hawthorn’s sourness promotes fluid production. Honey adds moistening sweetness and helps bind the flavours.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Best suited to those experiencing a wind-heat cold: fever or strong sensation of heat, sore throat, dry or burning sensation in the nose and mouth, poor appetite, dark or scanty urine, dry stools.
• Can also serve as a summer health-maintenance tea to support the body’s resistance during hot weather.
• Do NOT use for a wind-cold cold: if you feel chilled, have a pale tongue, clear and watery runny nose, and no strong thirst — this cold pattern calls for warming herbs, not cooling ones.
• Pregnant women should consult a practitioner, as hawthorn may mildly stimulate the uterus.
• Honey should never be given to infants under 12 months old.
• Do not boil the honey — always add it to the cooled or warm (not hot) tea to preserve its qualities.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua): One of the most widely used herbs in Chinese tradition for clearing heat and relieving surface toxicity. Honeysuckle is associated with light, aromatic, outward-moving energy — ideal for the early stage of a wind-heat cold when symptoms are still on the surface.
• Fresh hawthorn berries (shan zha): Brings sourness that in Chinese food therapy is associated with generating fluids and easing the dry, parched sensation of a heat-type cold. Hawthorn also disperses stagnation — relevant to the poor appetite and sluggish digestion that often accompany fever.
• Raw honey: Naturally moistening and soothing, honey supports the throat and reinforces the fluid-generating quality of hawthorn. Add only after the tea has cooled to warm — do not boil.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh hawthorn berries (shan zha)	6 berries	Cut open before cooking; dried slices (~5 qian / 15 g) work too
Honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua)	~18 g (5 qian)	Dried; from a Chinese herb shop
Raw honey	1 tablespoon	Add off the heat, when tea is warm — do not boil

Method

1. Wash the fresh hawthorn berries and cut each one open.
2. Place hawthorn and honeysuckle flowers together in a pot.
3. Add 3 bowls (approximately 700 ml) of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm.
6. Stir in the honey until dissolved.
7. Strain and drink warm. Divide into 2 portions.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea works equally well as a general summer wellness drink — not just when you have a cold. In hot weather, a cup or two a week can help support the body’s natural resilience. If you cannot find fresh hawthorn, dried slices from the herb shop are a fine substitute; use about 5 qian (15 g). If you prefer not to use honey, a few pieces of rock sugar or a few leaves of stevia (tian ju ye) give a pleasant sweetness without the same concerns. You can also add a little chrysanthemum flower for extra heat-clearing. Always remember: do not boil the honey.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Wai): Can I add a little licorice root and chrysanthemum to this tea? Do I need to cook them in? Bro Niu: Yes, you can add a small amount of licorice and chrysanthemum. Cook for about 10 minutes along with the other ingredients, then let it cool before adding the honey.

• Q (may): If I do not use honeysuckle, can I substitute chrysanthemum? And if I do not want to add honey, what else can I use to sweeten it? Bro Niu: Chrysanthemum is a good substitute. If you prefer not to use honey, you can skip it and instead add a few leaves of stevia (tian ju ye) which provides natural sweetness — or simply use rock sugar, which also works well.

• Q (怡怡): Can I use dried hawthorn instead of fresh? What amount should I use? Bro Niu: Dried hawthorn works just as well — use about 5 qian (15 g) of the dried slices.

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Published April 22, 2014 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.