Dendrobium Flower Tea (Tie Pi Shi Hu Hua Tea)

Why people make this tea

Iron-skin dendrobium (tie pi shi hu) is one of the more prized herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, traditionally associated with regulating the qi of the internal organs, calming the mind, improving sleep, harmonising yin and yang, nourishing the stomach, generating fluids, easing tension, and supporting the heart. Dried dendrobium flowers are available in small quantities at Chinese herb shops and online — a little goes a long way, as the same batch of flowers can be re-steeped multiple times into a beautiful, lightly fragrant tea. The flowers are milder in therapeutic effect than the stems, but they carry many of the same properties and are an enjoyable, everyday way to access some of those benefits — especially for supporting stomach yin, generating fluids, and brightening and resting tired eyes.