Jasmine Chrysanthemum Tea (mo li hua ju hua cha)

Why people make this tea

Nourilo has a soft spot for fragrant flowers — he says any flower with a lovely scent helps loosen frazzled nerves. In summer, when jasmine and ginger lily are in bloom, he’ll bring home a bunch so the whole room smells sweet, and the day’s worries seem to ease. This jasmine-chrysanthemum tea is his everyday cup for those with liver-heat, dizziness, headache, or simply a wound-up mind.

Method

1. Put the jasmine and chrysanthemum in a pot and rinse once with boiling water.
2. Pour over fresh boiling water and steep, covered, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in honey and serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

The flowers pictured are tribute chrysanthemum (gong ju), which is fragrant; you can also use Hangzhou (hang ju) or bud (tai ju) chrysanthemum. This tea is also helpful for those with high blood pressure, anxiety, or a chronic touchy stomach.