Luo Han Guo & Chicken Bone Herb Tea (Ji Gu Cao)

Why people make this tea

Chicken bone herb (ji gu cao) is one of the most commonly used plants in Cantonese herbal teas — widely available at Chinese and Asian grocery stores and herb shops for its association with liver support and clearing damp-heat. Spring is the season Chinese medicine most associates with the liver, and wet, humid spring weather creates the perfect conditions for internal dampness to build up. For people who work overtime, stay up late, or have been feeling that foggy, throat-dry, heavy-limbed fatigue, this tea is one of Bro Niu’s go-to recommendations. The addition of luo han guo (monk fruit) — particularly the low-temperature-dried premium “golden” variety — adds a beautiful natural sweetness without sugar, and brings its own lung-moistening and thirst-quenching qualities to the blend. The result is a pleasantly sweet tea that does not taste harsh or medicinal.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits those who work long hours, stay up late, feel chronically fatigued, have a yellowish complexion, or experience digestive sluggishness
• Suitable for the whole family including children (“old and young can drink it”)
• Those with weak constitution and cold-deficiency pattern: add dried tangerine peel (chen pi) and red dates to reduce the cooling nature; or add black soybeans for additional support
• Pregnant women and those with cold-weak constitutions should be cautious; the tea is generally cooling in nature
• If symptoms suggest jaundice or serious liver disease, please see a doctor — food therapy alone is not sufficient

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Chicken bone herb (ji gu cao, Abrus cantoniensis): A foundational Cantonese herb for liver support; traditionally associated with clearing liver and gallbladder heat, relieving jaundice, and dispelling damp-heat. Requires at least 2 hours of cooking to fully release its active compounds.
• Luo han guo / monk fruit (luo han guo): Naturally very sweet due to mogrosides (not sugar); traditionally associated with clearing lung heat, moistening the intestines, and quenching thirst. Low-temperature-dried varieties retain more beneficial compounds than high-heat-processed ones.

Ingredients (4–5 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chicken bone herb (ji gu cao)	1 bundle (~50 g)	Soak and rinse; cut into segments
Luo han guo (monk fruit)	1 piece	Rinse, crack open the shell, and break up the fruit and seeds
Water	9 bowls	~1.8 L

Method

1. Soak the chicken bone herb bundle in cold water for 10 minutes; rinse well and cut into segments.
2. Rinse the luo han guo, then crack open the shell. Break the fruit and seeds into pieces — include both shell and seeds.
3. Combine all ingredients with 9 bowls of water in a pot.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
5. Simmer for 2 hours until reduced to 4–5 bowls.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can divide into 2 days’ servings.

Bro Niu’s tips

• The tea is naturally sweet and clear-tasting — much more pleasant than many herbal teas.
• Chicken bone herb requires a full 2 hours of simmering to properly release its beneficial compounds; do not shorten the cooking time. Making a double batch and dividing over 2 days is practical.
• For those with a cold spleen-stomach: add some black soybeans and dried tangerine peel to reduce the cooling nature.
• If a “golden luo han guo” (low-temperature dried variety) is not available, regular luo han guo works perfectly well — the golden variety just tastes a little sweeter and cleaner.
• Regular luo han guo can also be used with tangerine peel to reduce coldness.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Bobby): Can I use regular luo han guo if I do not have the golden variety? Bro Niu: Regular luo han guo works fine. The golden variety just tastes a little sweeter and more pleasant.

• Q (Sylvia): Does it really need to cook for 2 hours? Bro Niu: Yes — chicken bone herb is quite hard and fibrous; it takes 2 hours to fully release its therapeutic properties. Make a larger batch (for 4 servings) and spread it over 2 days.

• Q (Bobby, on cold constitution): If my spleen and stomach are weak, can I still drink this — what can I add to make it less cooling? Bro Niu: For a weak spleen-stomach, add some black soybeans and dried tangerine peel to balance the cooling nature.

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Published March 6, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.