Rose and Job's Tears Powder Tea

Why people make this tea

Rose petals have long been a favourite in Chinese herbal tea culture — their gentle floral fragrance makes any cup feel like a small luxury, and in traditional food therapy they are associated with supporting the flow of qi, easing emotional tension, and promoting healthy skin. Job’s tears (coix seed), ground into a fine powder, brings a subtly milky, neutral flavour that pairs beautifully with the rose. In traditional practice, coix seed is valued for its protein content, and is believed to support a healthy metabolism and help keep skin smooth and even-toned. Nourilo combined these two ingredients on a whim one afternoon — the result was a quietly satisfying tea that has become a reader favourite.

Method

1. Spoon the Job’s tears powder into a reusable tea bag or muslin sachet and seal it closed. This prevents the powder from floating on the surface and making the tea difficult to drink.
2. Place the tea bag of powder and the dried rose petals together in a teapot or large mug.
3. Pour in freshly boiled water.
4. Steep for about 7 minutes.
5. Pour into a cup and enjoy while still warm. Honey may be added to taste.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This tea traditionally supports menstrual regularity, fluid balance, and may help ease mild blemishes and acne-prone skin over continued use.
• Red Job’s tears powder (hong yi ren) is a perfectly fine substitute for the white variety.
• If you have coix seed in whole grain form rather than powder, Nourilo notes that whole seeds do not dissolve well enough — the powder form is much more effective.
• For the best skin effect, Nourilo also uses Job’s tears powder mixed with a little honey and cool boiled water into a paste, applied gently to the face as a brightening mask for 10–15 minutes, then rinsed off.
• Best time to drink: between meals, ideally in the morning. Evening consumption may cause nighttime trips to the bathroom.
• If you have excess internal heat (damp-heat constitution), swap rose petals for poria mushroom powder (fu ling fen) for a better-matched tea.