Tangerine Peel and Roasted Rice Tea

Why people make this tea

Every year Bro Niu sun-dries a batch of fresh tangerine peel. Good aged peel (chen pi) is becoming increasingly expensive, so making your own and letting it mature for three years or more is well worth the effort. The older the peel, the more fragrant it becomes — after ten or twenty years, opening a jar fills an entire room with the warm, complex scent of aged citrus.

Traditional Chinese medicine often says: “A hundred years of chen pi, a thousand years of ginseng” — a testament to how highly aged tangerine peel is regarded. What makes this recipe particularly interesting is how it pairs chen pi with one of the most overlooked kitchen techniques: dry-roasting plain white rice in a wok until golden.

The result is a mild, naturally sweet tea with a pleasant toasted aroma. It is used in Cantonese households primarily for two things: supporting people who have just undergone surgery (especially caesarean birth), where trapped air inside the abdominal cavity can cause significant discomfort; and settling the digestive system after illness, for people who feel bloated or have lost their appetite.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Particularly suitable after surgery, including caesarean section — can be started the day after the procedure
• Helpful for children with fever, diarrhoea, or a weak appetite
• The tea is very gentle and broadly safe; Bro Niu notes it can be taken for weeks if desired
• If preparing for a child, halve the quantities
• Can be enjoyed by pregnant women from their first trimester (use 1 piece of tangerine peel during early pregnancy)

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Dried tangerine peel (chen pi): This is one of the foundational ingredients of Cantonese food therapy. Aged peel is traditionally considered more effective — it moves qi, reduces phlegm, warms the stomach, and is said to moderate the action of other herbs when combined with them. The white inner pith should not be scraped off; it contains compounds that are thought to soften blood vessels and support circulation.
• Dry-roasted white rice (chao mi): Roasting plain rice without oil transforms it into something quite different — a warm, fragrant, slightly sweet grain that is traditionally used to calm the stomach and strengthen the spleen. The roasting process makes the starch more easily digestible and is believed to help regulate gut function.

Ingredients (1 day’s supply)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried tangerine peel (chen pi)	1–2 pieces	Soak briefly to soften, then cut into strips
Roasted white rice	6 tablespoons	See tip below for how to prepare
Water	5 bowls

Method

1. To prepare roasted rice (can be made in advance): dry-roast plain white rice in a wok (no oil, no washing) over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until golden. Store in an airtight container and use as needed.
2. Soak tangerine peel briefly in water to soften. Cut into strips. Do not discard the soaking water — use it in the pot.
3. Combine tangerine peel strips, their soaking water, and the roasted rice in a pot with 5 bowls of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Drink throughout the day as a substitute for plain water. For children, halve all quantities.

Bro Niu’s tips

Do not scrape off the white inner pith of the tangerine peel — it contains beneficial compounds that support blood vessel health. For the rice: no need to wash it before roasting; just dry-roast in a clean, dry wok for 5–7 minutes until it turns a nice golden colour, then store and use whenever needed. This tea can also be prepared by infusing in a thermos rather than boiling if that is more convenient. The tea is very gentle and broad in its application — even people who are months into recovery can continue drinking it comfortably.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (ANDY AU): My mother is having knee-replacement surgery next month. Can she drink the tangerine peel roasted rice tea? And can she also have the braised pork juice and chayote fish soup? Bro Niu: The roasted rice tea can be used; dry-roast the rice for about 7 minutes for best flavour. The braised pork juice and chayote fish soup are both suitable. The roasted rice tea can be started from the day after the operation.

• Q (Vivian): Does this tea have to be cooked on the stove, or can I just steep it in hot water in a thermos? Bro Niu: Steeping tangerine peel and roasted rice in hot water in a thermos works well. Dry-roast the rice for 7 minutes first and store it ready to use.

• Q (Mi): After a miscarriage, do I need to wait until the tissue has fully passed before drinking the roasted rice tea? Bro Niu: You can start the roasted rice tea right away after a miscarriage. Pairing it with red dates, goji berries, longan, or black mulberries will make it even more nourishing. Black mulberries in particular are good for nourishing liver blood without causing heat.

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Published December 11, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.