Shek Wong Pei, Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) & Apricot Kernel Tea

Why people make this tea

When Hong Kong’s weather turns humid and muggy in spring — the kind of weather where the air feels thick and you can almost see the moisture — coughs tend to follow. The Cantonese approach to this environment is to use herbs that are specifically suited to clearing heat and damp from the lungs without being so cold that they damage the body’s core energy. Shek wong pei (the fern rhizome sold at mountain herb stalls in Hong Kong) is exactly this kind of ingredient: mildly cooling but not harsh, with a reputation for clearing lung and intestinal heat while also having a diuretic, damp-clearing quality. Paired with the soothing sweetness of monk fruit and the lung-supporting apricot kernels, this makes an agreeable tea that the whole family can drink when a heat-type cough has set in after a cold.

Method

1. Wash the shek wong pei and crush lightly with the back of a knife to help release its properties.
2. Rinse the monk fruit half and the apricot kernels.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.5 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1 hour until reduced to 600–900 ml.
5. Drink freely according to your comfort.

Nourilo’s Tips

Shek wong pei is a fern rhizome — not a fruit or bark — and is sold at mountain herb (shan cao yao) stalls in Hong Kong. When buying monk fruit: choose round, large, firm fruits that do not rattle when shaken, with a yellow-brown colour. A high-quality fruit will be fragrant when opened. Store opened monk fruit in a cool, dry place — if it develops white mould or an off-smell, discard it. This tea is specifically for phlegmy, heat-type coughs. For wind-cold coughs (clear watery phlegm, hoarse voice), use warming remedies instead — dried tangerine peel, ginger, and brown sugar. If your cough has been going on for more than two weeks without improvement, see a doctor.