Kudzu Flower, Tangerine Peel and Honey Date Tea

Why people make this tea

Most people who drink for social or work reasons know all too well that the next morning can be rough — headache, nausea, fatigue, that stale feeling in the stomach. Long-term heavy drinking carries more serious consequences: fatty liver, digestive ulcers, esophageal bleeding, pancreatic inflammation, accelerated brain aging, and increased risk of gout from any type of alcohol. The kudzu plant (ge) has a long history in Chinese medicine, and its unopened flower buds (ge hua) specifically are valued as one of the most effective natural ingredients for counteracting alcohol. The flower buds are sweet and neutral in nature, and traditionally associated with settling the stomach and clearing alcohol from the system. Tangerine peel (chen pi) adds its stomach-comforting, qi-moving properties, and honey dates sweeten the whole thing into a tea that is genuinely pleasant to drink. It is simple to make, takes only ten minutes, and can be sipped warm after a night out or taken preventively before.