Toasted Black Bean and Black Mulberry Tea

Why people make this tea

A few grey hairs at 40 is normal biology. Finding a cluster of them in your twenties or thirties is another matter — and an increasingly common one among people who carry heavy academic, professional, or emotional burdens. Traditional Chinese medicine has long connected hair colour and vitality to the health of the liver and kidney: these organ systems store the blood and essence from which healthy, pigmented hair is nourished. When stress, overwork, or chronic worry depletes these reserves, the hair loses its colour before its time.

This two-ingredient tea is Nourilo’s go-to recommendation for this pattern. Both ingredients are dark, almost black — and in Chinese food culture, dark foods have traditionally been associated with kidney support. Black mulberries are now recognised to be among the richest natural sources of anthocyanins, the pigment compounds that also play a role in antioxidant protection. Black soy beans with green kernel (not to be confused with ordinary black beans) are similarly rich in anthocyanins and plant protein. Together, they make a tea that is naturally pleasant — slightly nutty from the roasted beans, mildly fruity-sweet from the mulberries — and easy to keep up as a daily ritual.

Nourilo also notes that this tea has a calming effect on the nervous system, making it suitable for those whose greying is driven by chronic stress and poor sleep.

Method

1. Toast the black soy beans in a dry pan (no oil) over low heat for 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are fully cooked through. Some may pop slightly — that is fine. Allow to cool.
2. Place the toasted beans and dried mulberries into a teapot or large insulated mug.
3. Pour once with boiling water to rinse; discard this first rinse.
4. Pour fresh boiling water over the ingredients; steep for 15 minutes.
5. Drink the tea, then re-brew with fresh hot water until the flavour is fully spent.

Nourilo’s Tips

The green-kernel black soy bean must be toasted before use — do not use it raw. Beans must be cooked to deactivate their natural enzyme inhibitors; for this tea that means at least 11–12 minutes of slow toasting in a dry pan over low-medium heat. Rinse the raw beans and let them drain dry before toasting. For the mulberries, the black variety is best as it contains the most anthocyanins. If black mulberries are hard to find overseas, any colour of mulberry will do; alternatively, pair the black beans with a few goji berries as a substitute. For those who run very warm and are concerned about the warming effect of toasted beans, simply boil untoasted black soy beans with the mulberries for 20–30 minutes instead of steeping.