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.

Method

1. Rinse the mung beans and place them in a pot with 5 cups of water.
2. Place the chrysanthemum flowers into a tea bag or muslin strainer and add to the pot.
3. 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.
4. Remove and discard the chrysanthemum tea bag.
5. Divide the tea into two portions: drink one cup in the morning and one cup in the evening.

Nourilo’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. Nourilo 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.