Ju Hong and Chen Pi Tea (Dried Citrus Peel Tea)

Why people make this tea

Both ju hong (the dried rind of a particular type of pomelo grown in Huazhou, Guangdong) and chen pi (aged dried tangerine peel) are classic aromatics in Chinese food therapy — warming, fragrant, and traditionally valued for their ability to help move stagnant qi and break up accumulated phlegm. When cold air or a damp chill triggers a scratchy throat, a tickling cough, and that stuck-phlegm feeling that nothing seems to shift, this simple two-ingredient tea offers a time-tested, warming response.

Bro Niu notes that classic texts credit ju hong with a broad range of traditional uses: dissolving phlegm, clearing food stagnation, sobering the effects of alcohol, soothing an upset stomach, and even neutralising crab toxicity. In practice, for everyday coughs with phlegm, this tea is one of the simplest remedies in the repertoire.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits adults and children with a wind-cold type cough: scratchy throat, clear or white phlegm, cough that worsens in cold or damp conditions
• Also helpful after a heavy meal or after excessive alcohol consumption (ju hong is traditionally noted for its digestive and detoxifying properties)
• Suitable for children with recurrent respiratory infections and persistent phlegm — a strengthening variation using additional herbs is given in Bro Niu’s tips below
• Not suitable for those with a dry cough from yin deficiency (a cough with little or no phlegm, dry throat, mild night sweats) — the drying nature of citrus peel may worsen this pattern
• Not suitable for those with a prolonged cough from qi deficiency — please see a doctor if a cough has persisted for many weeks without improvement
• Pregnant women: chen pi in small amounts is generally considered safe, but consult a doctor before using any herbal preparation during pregnancy

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Ju hong (Huazhou pomelo rind): The outer zest layer of a specific pomelo cultivar from Huazhou, Guangdong. It is more intensely aromatic and warming than standard tangerine peel, and is traditionally prized for its phlegm-dissolving and qi-moving properties. It may come in pressed flat pieces, or as small whole dried fruits — both work well.
• Chen pi (aged dried tangerine peel): One of the most widely used aromatics in Chinese cooking and food therapy. Mildly warming, it is traditionally used to regulate the flow of qi in the digestive and respiratory systems, dissolve phlegm, and reduce nausea. The longer it has been aged, the gentler and richer its aroma.

Ingredients (2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Ju hong peel	6 g (2 qian)	Small whole fruits or flat pressed pieces both work
Dried tangerine peel (chen pi)	1 piece	Rinse briefly before use
Water	2 bowls (~450 mL)

Method

1. Rinse the ju hong and chen pi briefly in cool water.
2. Place both in a small pot with 2 bowls of water.
3. Bring to a strong boil over medium-high heat.
4. Once fully boiling, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and steep for 10 minutes.
5. Pour and drink warm. This quantity provides 1–2 cups; drink while warm.

Bro Niu’s tips

• For children with recurrent respiratory infections and lots of phlegm: combine ju hong (6 g), huang qi / astragalus (9 g), poria mushroom (12 g), huang jing (Polygonatum sibiricum, 9 g), and chicken gizzard lining (ji nei jin, 6 g) in 4 bowls of water; cook for 30 minutes and drink as a tea. Repeat twice a week — this formula is traditionally used to help strengthen the lungs and reduce the frequency of phlegm-producing colds in children.
• This tea also helps clear the effects of over-eating or too much alcohol — a handy remedy after a big holiday meal.
• If you are also taking Western medicine for a cough or cold, wait 2 hours after your dose before drinking this tea.
• For a sore throat with heat (red throat, yellow phlegm), this tea is not the best choice — use a cooling tea instead, such as luo han guo (monk fruit) with pang da hai (malva nut) and a little licorice root.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Helen, reader): My 3-year-old had a mild fever a few days ago (diagnosed as upper respiratory infection), finished 3 days of antibiotics, but still has a phlegmy cough. He is coughing up clear mucus. What can I make for him? Bro Niu: You can use su zi (perilla seed) and lai fu zi (radish seed), about 9 g each, placed in a small muslin bag and cooked together with a thin rice porridge. This is a gentle and effective way to help clear phlegm for young children.

• Q (reader): I have been coughing for a long time. The cough is a little better, but I still have phlegm — sometimes clear, sometimes pale green. I feel like there is a lump of phlegm stuck in my chest that I cannot clear. What soup or tea should I drink? Bro Niu: Try: fa xia (prepared pinellia) and fu ling (poria) and bai zhu (atractylodes), 9 g each; chen pi (tangerine peel) 6 g; mai dong (ophiopogon root) 15 g; and gan cao (licorice root) 3 g. Use 5 bowls of water, simmer to 2 bowls, and drink for 3 consecutive days. See if this helps.

• Q (颖妈, reader): Can my child drink this ju hong tea while still on Western cough medicine? Bro Niu: Yes — wait 2 hours after taking the Western medicine before giving the tea. If your own throat is also very sore, try half a luo han guo (monk fruit), 3 pang da hai (malva nuts), and a little licorice root: simmer in 3 bowls of water to 2 bowls and drink after your medicine.

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Published March 31, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 5 min read.