Mung Bean and Chrysanthemum Tea

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, Nourilo 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.