Sauropus Leaf, Shi Huang Pi and Dried Pear Tea

Why people make this tea

When the air turns dry and colds are going around, you hear coughing everywhere on public transport — Nourilo always wears a mask now, just in case. In this kind of weather it helps to brew something that moistens the lungs and eases a cough. Fresh sauropus leaf is an excellent phlegm-and-cough food and is easy to find at the flower stalls. Nourilo also spotted some shi huang pi, a hillside herb that traditionally clears heat and damp and moistens the lungs, so he picked up both. Today’s version is kept simple — just the leaves, shi huang pi and dried pear simmered into a clear, sweet, throat-soothing tea.