Herbal & Flower Teas
Mung Bean and Chrysanthemum Tea
traditionally associated with clearing heat, supporting the liver and helping to reduce fat accumulation
Why people make this tea
A generation ago in Hong Kong, some older folk considered “yellow-sand liver” — the fattened liver of an animal — a prized ingredient for rolling soups and congee, believing it rich and nourishing. We now know it is simply diseased fatty tissue. In humans, fatty liver occurs when fat accumulates excessively in the liver cells: normally, fat makes up about 5% of liver weight; in fatty liver patients, it can reach 40–50%.
The causes are varied: excessive alcohol, obesity, hepatitis, diabetes, and medication overuse are the most common triggers. But even starvation, severe anaemia and hormonal changes during pregnancy can lead to the same condition. Managing fatty liver, Bro Niu explains, requires changes on multiple fronts — dietary adjustment is important, but so is improving lifestyle habits more broadly.
This mung bean and chrysanthemum tea is a gentle, accessible everyday drink that food therapy associates with clearing heat, reducing lipid accumulation and supporting the eyes and liver. It is particularly suited to those with an overweight or excess-heat constitution, diabetes, or mild to moderate fatty liver.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suited to those with fatty liver (especially mild to moderate), those who are overweight, or those with diabetes and excess-heat constitution
- Those with a cold or weak constitution should avoid this tea, as both mung bean and chrysanthemum are cooling in nature; if they wish to use it, adding dried tangerine peel (chen pi) can help moderate the cooling effect
- People taking blood thinners (warfarin / anticoagulants) should seek medical advice before using chrysanthemum-based teas regularly
- For severe fatty liver, dietary changes alone are insufficient — medical supervision is essential
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Mung bean (lu dou): Sweet and cold; one of the most widely used cooling and detoxifying foods in Chinese food therapy; associated with clearing summer heat, supporting the liver and reducing internal toxin accumulation; also thought to support fat metabolism
- Chrysanthemum flower (ju hua): Pungent, sweet and slightly cold; traditionally associated with clearing liver fire, brightening the eyes and supporting healthy blood pressure; adds a fragrant, pleasant quality to the tea; should not be simmered at length — placed in a tea bag and added to the cooking broth so it can be removed easily
Ingredients (2 cups)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chrysanthemum flowers | 10 g (3 qian) | Placed in a tea bag or strainer basket |
| Mung beans | 80 g (2 liang) | Rinse well |
| Water | 5 cups |
Method
- Rinse the mung beans and place them in a pot with 5 cups of water.
- Place the chrysanthemum flowers into a tea bag or muslin strainer and add to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20–25 minutes until the mung beans are soft and the liquid has reduced to approximately 2 cups.
- Remove and discard the chrysanthemum tea bag.
- Divide the tea into two portions: drink one cup in the morning and one cup in the evening.
Bro Niu’s tips
Mild fatty liver, if left unaddressed and if dietary habits are not changed, can gradually progress to moderate fatty liver. Symptoms at that stage include poor appetite, indigestion and diarrhoea. Bro Niu stresses that fatty liver must be managed through real dietary reform — more vegetables, far less fatty meat and alcohol. This tea is a helpful addition to that effort, not a substitute. Those with a cold constitution who still want to try this tea can add a small piece of dried tangerine peel to help balance the cooling nature of the ingredients.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Mei ling, 2015): I was told four years ago I had fatty liver but I ignored it. I now want to know what I can do through diet. What do you recommend? Bro Niu: Fatty liver requires real dietary change first — more vegetables, much less fatty food. You can try steeping chrysanthemum, cassia seeds (chao jue ming zi), hawthorn (shan zha) and lotus leaf (he ye) together as a daily tea, about 3–4 times per week. Buy a small amount of each, dry-fry them briefly in a clean pan (to remove insects and bacteria), then store in a jar. Each time, take one small pinch of each into a tea bag and steep — refill with hot water until the taste is gone.
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Q (Connie, 2014): How long does it take before this mung bean chrysanthemum tea has any effect? Is it too cooling? Bro Niu: The tea is indeed cooling in nature and is not suitable for those with a cold constitution. For blood pressure support, the white-backed wood-ear, red date and ginger tea can also be made — add tian qi (notoginseng) if you like, simmering for about 1 hour, but avoid tian qi if you are taking blood thinners. For diabetics, reduce the red dates to 3–4 pieces.
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Q (Angel, 2015): My husband has fatty liver and gout. What soups would be helpful for him? Bro Niu: Both fatty liver and gout require strict dietary discipline — avoid fatty foods, high-purine foods such as mushrooms, beans, beer, organ meats, shellfish and seafood. Red bean (chi xiao dou) and coix seed (yi mi) congee is something he can have regularly: red bean, despite being a legume, is low in purines and helps inhibit uric acid, while coix seed is diuretic and uric-acid-lowering. A soup of corn, carrot and fresh yam in lean pork broth, with green papaya added, is also beneficial.
Published September 14, 2014 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
