Herbal & Flower Teas
Honeysuckle Lotus-Flower Tea
traditionally used to cool summer heat and support hydration
Why people make this tea
Every summer, when the lotus ponds come into bloom, you sometimes find fresh lotus buds at the flower stalls — fragrant and lovely, though they rarely open once you put them in a vase. In the old food-therapy tradition, lotus flower is valued for invigorating the blood and dispersing dampness, and it is picked while still in bud, when its qualities are considered strongest. Paired with honeysuckle, it makes a cooling, fragrant tea that many people sip through the hottest weeks to help fend off the effects of summer heat.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits most people during hot, muggy summer weather; a little is fine for any constitution on a very hot day.
- People with a cold (yang-deficient) constitution should not drink large amounts, as the tea is cooling.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Honeysuckle (jin yin hua): traditionally associated with clearing heat and resolving toxins; a classic summer-cooling flower.
- Lotus flower (lian hua / he hua): in tradition used to invigorate the blood and disperse dampness and wind; valued for a clean, cooling fragrance.
Ingredients (3 cups / 1 small pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua) | ~37 g (1 tael) | dried |
| Lotus flower (lian hua) | 3–4 blossoms | dried; sold at flower-tea shops |
Method
- Rinse the honeysuckle and lotus flowers.
- Add to 3 bowls of water and boil for about 5 minutes.
- Sip as a tea through the day.
Bro Niu’s tips
You can also brew lotus flower with a little green tea instead — it gives the same cooling, heat-clearing effect on a hot day.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (mo): I think I have a touch of heatstroke today — dizzy, queasy, very uncomfortable. Is there anything I can simmer to drink? Bro Niu: You can simmer some winter-melon and Job’s-tears (yi mi) water, or use lotus leaf and chrysanthemum (about 11 g each) brewed as a tea — both help guard against summer heat.
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Q (ZEN): For “boil honeysuckle and lotus flower in 3 bowls of water for 5 minutes” — does the lotus flower need to be fresh? Bro Niu: Lotus flower is sold at flower-tea shops; the dried form is what’s normally used.
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Q (wing wing mami): Can I add honey to this tea? Which constitution should avoid it? Can it be drunk often? Bro Niu: Although this is a cooling tea and those with a cold constitution shouldn’t overdo it, a little on a very hot day is no problem. It’s suitable for any constitution to enjoy in hot summer weather.
Published July 12, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
