Prunella, Luo Han Guo and Zhejiang Fritillary Tea

Why people make this tea

In traditional Chinese households, when a child developed swollen or tender lymph nodes along the neck, grandmothers would often brew a pot of prunella and monk fruit water as a first-response kitchen remedy. Prunella (xia ku cao) has long been valued in Chinese herbal tradition for its ability to clear what practitioners call “liver fire” and to help disperse phlegm nodules. Adding Zhejiang fritillary (zhe bei mu) strengthens the heat-clearing and lump-softening quality of the brew. Monk fruit brings a gentle sweetness that balances the bitterness, and it contributes its own traditional cooling nature. This is the kind of quiet, practical recipe that has been passed quietly between generations.