Prunella Chrysanthemum Tea (Xia Ku Cao Ju Hua Cha)

Why people make this tea

If you stay up late often, Nourilo says you can get the signs of “liver fire flaring up” — red, sore eyes, headache, dizziness. Steeping prunella (xia ku cao) with chrysanthemum makes a perfect everyday tea for that. In traditional thinking the liver “opens into the eyes,” so liver fire shows up as sore, inflamed eyes; prunella is associated with calming early inflammation, while chrysanthemum clears upper-body “wind-heat” and brightens the eyes year-round. Together they are said to drain liver fire, ease swelling and discomfort, and support healthy blood pressure.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the prunella; rinse the chrysanthemum.
2. Simmer the prunella in about 6 cups of water for 30 minutes.
3. Add the chrysanthemum and rock sugar and simmer a further 5 minutes, until reduced to 3 cups.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea is fragrant and pleasant for all ages, and is also said to help children with “tan huo” lumps. Because prunella is cooling, pregnant women and those with a cold, weak stomach should not drink it.