Mulberry Berry, Goji & Longan Tea

Why people make this tea

City life — and increasingly everywhere — runs on long hours, screens, and stress. When someone runs too long on too little rest, a particular pattern of symptoms tends to emerge: persistent low-grade dizziness, a hollow tired feeling, difficulty falling or staying asleep, mild anxiety, a pale complexion, and cold hands and feet. Traditional Chinese food therapy describes this as “qi-blood deficiency” — the tank running low. This three-ingredient tea is Bro Niu’s gentle go-to remedy for exactly that pattern. It can also support those dealing with anxiety, obsessive tendencies, or mild low mood where the underlying cause is blood-qi weakness rather than excess heat.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for adults experiencing nervous exhaustion, insomnia, mild anxiety, or fatigue from overwork where the pattern is one of deficiency and pallor
• Those with anxiety, mild obsessive tendencies, or mild depression where blood-qi deficiency is present may also find it helpful
• Longan (yuan rou) is warming and tonifying — it is wonderful for blood deficiency, but those prone to internal heat (night sweats, easy flush, yin-deficient constitution) should use it sparingly or replace it with dried white pitted dates or coix lily tea; pregnant women should also use it in moderation
• Not suitable during active fever or acute external illness

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Dried mulberry berries (sang shen zi / Morus alba): In Chinese tradition, mulberries nourish yin and blood, benefit the liver and kidneys, and help anchor a wandering, restless spirit; dark (near-black) mulberries contain significantly more anthocyanins than yellow or reddish ones and are considered more therapeutically potent
• Goji berries (gou qi zi): One of the most well-known tonic berries in Chinese herbal tradition; associated with brightening the eyes, nourishing the liver-kidney axis, and supplementing essence and blood
• Dried longan pulp (yuan rou / long yan rou): Classically used in Chinese medicine to nourish the heart blood and calm the spirit, making it a natural partner for sleep and anxiety support; warming in nature, so those with heat signs should use it judiciously

Ingredients (1–2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried mulberry berries (sang shen zi)	1 tablespoon (~10 g)	Dark (near-black) preferred
Goji berries (gou qi zi)	1 tablespoon (~10 g)
Dried longan pulp (yuan rou)	1 tablespoon (~10 g)	For internal-heat constitution, substitute with dried white dates or bayberry kernels

Method

1. Place all three ingredients in a teapot or infuser.
2. Rinse once with boiling water and discard that first rinse.
3. Pour in fresh boiling water and steep for 10 minutes.
4. Drink warm. The same ingredients can be re-steeped until the flavour fades.

Bro Niu’s tips

For those with symptoms, this tea can be drunk daily until things improve, then reduced to 3 times a week as maintenance. Dark (near-black) mulberries are preferred over yellow or brownish ones — the darker colour indicates a higher concentration of anthocyanins. Dried mulberries are available at Chinese herbal medicine shops and online Asian grocers. Store a large bag in the freezer or refrigerator to keep them fresh. If a reader with internal heat or yin deficiency wants to use this tea, Bro Niu suggests removing longan and replacing it with 1 tablespoon each of bayberry kernels (bai zi ren) and Chinese wolfberry, and adding a small amount of sour jujube seeds (suan zao ren) — this formulation is more balanced for a yin-deficient constitution.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Jenny): I have work stress, am restless, have insomnia and vivid dreams, and feel slightly heat-prone. Can I drink this mulberry-goji-longan tea? Bro Niu: You can use the mulberry and goji, but leave out the longan — longan is easy to cause heat. Replace it with bayberry kernels (bai zi ren), 1 tablespoon — it calms the spirit, helps with bowel regularity, and is very gentle.

• Q (Yan): Can this tea be drunk during menstruation? Can I leave out the longan? Bro Niu: Yes, it can be drunk during menstruation. Longan can be replaced with red dates or black dates.

• Q (Chammy): I have difficulty falling asleep, easy palpitations and anxiety, and light sleep with frequent waking. What can help? Bro Niu: Try simmering 1 liang wheat berries (xiao mai mi), 5 qian poria with spirit (fu shen), 5 qian longan pulp, 1 liang lily bulb (bai he), and 2 qian roasted licorice (zhi gan cao) in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls — drink 4–5 consecutive servings; this formula is traditionally associated with calming the heart and easing nervous tension.

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Published September 25, 2015 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.