Nourilo

Herbal & Flower Teas

Scrophularia, Ophiopogon and Licorice Tea

Traditionally used to soothe throat discomfort and reduce sticky phlegm

In short: Scrophularia, Ophiopogon and Licorice Tea is a herbal & flower tea that Traditionally used to soothe throat discomfort and reduce sticky phlegm. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, sleep & calm. Total time about 50 min. Key ingredients: ophiopogon root, licorice root.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
5 min
Cook
45 min
Total
50 min
Makes
600 ml
Respiratory & Lung WellnessSleep & Calm
Scrophularia, Ophiopogon and Licorice Tea

Why people make this tea

Eating too many fried or grilled foods, or simply burning the candle at both ends, can leave the throat feeling scratchy, dry, or like there is something stuck in it — and the phlegm, when it does appear, tends to be thick and hard to shift. Traditional Chinese food therapy attributes this to “heat injuring the yin” of the lungs and throat. Nourilo puts together three well-known cooling and moistening herbs to make a tea that is easy to simmer on a weekday evening. It has a gentle, slightly bitter-sweet flavour and is designed to be sipped throughout the day.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Licorice root · Randomized controlled trial, 66 participants · 2024
    Compared with placebo plus the same low-calorie diet, licorice extract was associated with greater improvements in body weight, BMI, body fat, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR at 8 weeks.Limitation: Small sample, short 8-week duration, and an extract dose that is not comparable to licorice eaten as food; the authors call for confirmatory research.PubMed 39080737 · 3 more licorice root studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Licorice root: Contains glycyrrhizin. Large amounts or long-term use have been linked to raised blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, and even smaller amounts have caused problems in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or a high-salt diet. Large amounts are unsafe in pregnancy, and it can interact with corticosteroids. Source: NIH NCCIH — Licorice Root

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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