Golden Monk Fruit, Lily Bulb and Snow Pear Tea

Why people make this tea

There is a window between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. that the body counts on. Traditional Chinese medicine considers this the repair window — the period when qi and blood return to the liver to complete the day’s processing. Modern sleep science would not disagree: this is when sleep pressure is highest, when the body’s restorative processes are most active.

When people stay up past midnight regularly — whether for work, screens, or social obligations — the liver never gets its full recovery window. Toxins accumulate, skin deteriorates, immunity weakens, and the body ages faster than it should. Add smoking (nicotine constricts blood vessels, thickens blood, dries skin) and alcohol (causes puffiness, accelerates brain ageing, inflames the stomach lining), and the toll on the body becomes very real.

This tea cannot undo those patterns on its own. But it offers genuine relief for some of the most common symptoms: the dry, irritated throat; the fitful sleep; the mild cough that arrives after a stretch of late nights or a period of heavy drinking. It works because all three ingredients have complementary moistening, calming, and throat-soothing properties. And it tastes good — light, mildly sweet, clean — which means people actually drink it.

Method

1. Gently crush the half monk fruit (or break it open with your hands) to release its flavour.
2. Rinse the dried lily bulb.
3. Wash the snow pear, remove the core, and cut into chunks. Leave the skin on.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until reduced to about 900 ml.
6. Drink throughout the day. Can be taken warm or cooled.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea is light and refreshing, suitable for the whole family. For those who find pear too cooling, substitute an apple — apple is more neutral-warm in nature and works equally well. If golden monk fruit is unavailable, a regular dried monk fruit can be substituted. For children who like it, lotus seeds can be added to the pot for added calming benefit.