Herbal & Flower Teas
Golden Monk Fruit, Tangerine Cake, Apricot Kernel, and Fig Tea
traditionally used to clear heat, moisten the throat, relieve dry cough, and support bowel regularity after excess eating or drinking
Why people make this tea
After a run of holiday feasting — rich foods, a little too much wine, late nights, and perhaps some fried snacks — it is very common to wake up with a dry, scratchy throat, a bitter taste in the mouth, or a nagging dry cough. In traditional Cantonese food therapy, this constellation of symptoms is associated with “excess heat” accumulating in the lungs and stomach, and the instinctive response is to drink something cooling, moistening, and gentle.
This tea uses the golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo), which Bro Niu considers sweeter and more aromatic than the regular variety, as its centrepiece. Paired with tangerine cake — a candied tangerine with a characteristic warming and phlegm-clearing character — plus apricot kernels and figs, the result is a drink that is both genuinely pleasant and traditionally effective for this kind of mild heat-related discomfort.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for all ages; the flavour is naturally sweet and agreeable.
- Particularly helpful after periods of excess: late nights, alcohol, spicy or fried food, cigarettes.
- Also helpful for long-COVID patients with lingering dry cough, excess phlegm, or throat discomfort.
- Pregnant women: use only one quarter of a monk fruit instead of a whole one.
- People with diabetes: omit tangerine cake and figs; substitute 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel (chen pi) for similar flavour without the sugar.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo): An intensely sweet, calorie-free dried fruit; traditionally associated with clearing lung heat, soothing the throat, supporting the liver and stomach, and lubricating the intestines. The golden variety has a noticeably cleaner, sweeter flavour than standard monk fruit.
- Tangerine cake (ju bing): Candied dried tangerine; traditionally used to move qi downward, dissolve phlegm, and ease chest tightness and cough. Adds a warm, citrusy sweetness to the tea.
- Mixed apricot kernels (nan bei xing): Moisten the lungs and ease cough; the sweet and bitter kernels work together to support respiratory comfort.
- Dried figs (wu hua guo): Nourish the spleen and lubricate the intestines; associated with supporting bowel regularity and soothing the throat.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo) | 1 whole fruit | Crack open before use |
| Tangerine cake (ju bing) | 2 pieces | Cut open |
| Mixed apricot kernels (nan bei xing) | ~38 g (1 liang) | Rinse |
| Dried figs (wu hua guo) | 4 pieces | Halve each fig |
| Water | 7–8 bowls (~1.75–2 L) | — |
Method
- Crack the monk fruit open using a cleaver or heavy spoon.
- Cut the tangerine cakes in half.
- Rinse the apricot kernels.
- Halve the dried figs.
- Add all ingredients to a pot with 7–8 bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 4–5 bowls.
- Serve warm or at room temperature; drink throughout the day.
Bro Niu’s tips
This tea is naturally sweet and suitable for the whole family. It is one of the most practical herbal teas to have on hand during recovery from respiratory illness or after a bout of excess. For long-COVID patients dealing with lingering dry cough, phlegm, or throat sensitivity, this tea can be very comforting. Keep a batch in the pot — it keeps well at room temperature through the day.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Amy): My 33-year-old son had COVID last month and has had a constant runny nose and post-nasal drip causing a wheezy cough ever since. He’s tried tangerine-monk fruit tea and pear-lily-apricot soup multiple times with no improvement. What else can help? Bro Niu: Try a soup with 20 pitted white gingko nuts, walnut meat (1 liang), mixed apricot kernels (1 liang), lily bulb (1 liang), and dried figs (4 pieces) — simmer in 8 bowls of water with partridge or lean pork shin until reduced to 4 bowls. This supports lung-spleen-kidney deficiency patterns that underlie post-illness cough and wheeze. Have him drink 2 bowls a day and eat some of the ingredients too.
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Q (Sum): After recovering from COVID and taking Lianhua Qingwen, my body is now quite cold and weak. What should I drink to rebuild my constitution? Bro Niu: After infection your constitution may be more cold and depleted. You can simmer dang shen, bei qi, and snow ear fungus (3 qian each), together with Chinese yam, lotus seeds, and lily bulb (1 liang each), red dates (5 pieces), and fresh ginger (3 slices) with chicken or lean pork in a pot for 2 hours. This helps strengthen the spleen and replenish qi. Take for 3 consecutive days.
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Q (Amy): Can pregnant women drink this tea? Bro Niu: Pregnant women can drink this tea — use only one quarter of a monk fruit instead of the full amount.
Published January 3, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
