Osmanthus and Dried Pear Tea

Why people make this tea

Children who constantly have phlegm, a poor appetite or noticeably bad breath are often dealing with a weakened spleen and stomach — a pattern that shows up repeatedly in families who see Nourilo’s site. The conventional fix is to reach for cough medicine or mouthwash, but neither addresses the underlying issue. This simple tea does something different: osmanthus flowers have long been used in Chinese households not just for their beautiful fragrance, but for their traditional ability to support the stomach, help resolve phlegm, and neutralise the bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath. Paired with dried pear slices — which are gentler and less cooling than fresh pear, having been slowly dried at low temperature — the result is a clear, fragrant, lightly sweet tea that children will actually want to drink. It can be made in minutes and returned to whenever the breath seems stale or the chest feels heavy.

Method

1. Briefly soak and rinse the dried pear slices. Check for and remove any cores or seeds — these have mild toxicity and should not be consumed.
2. Place the pear slices and osmanthus flowers together in a pot with 1.2 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add a small amount of rock sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Pour and drink warm. The pear slices are also pleasant to eat.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key detail with dried pear is to always remove the core and seeds before cooking — they contain mild compounds that, while not seriously dangerous in small amounts, are best avoided entirely. The rest of the pear is fine and nutritious. Dried pear is a better choice than fresh pear for this tea precisely because it is not as cooling, making it suitable for regular use throughout the cooler months too. For diabetic family members, skip the rock sugar and use a small piece of monk fruit or a few stevia leaves instead — the osmanthus already provides a pleasant fragrance without any added sweetness.