Three-Seed Liver Tea (San Zi Yang Gan Tang)

Why people make this tea

Fresh mulberries have a fleeting season — those plump, deep-purple berries available for only a few short weeks each spring. When they appear, it is the ideal time to make San Zi Yang Gan Tang. The darker and more intensely colored the mulberries, the better: the deep purplish-black pigment signals abundant anthocyanins, the same plant compounds that give blueberries their well-documented antioxidant properties.

“Three-Seed Liver Tea” is one of the classic formulas in Cantonese food therapy. The three seeds — mulberry, goji, and schisandra — are each associated with nourishing what Chinese medicine calls liver blood: the network of nourishment the liver provides to the eyes, tendons, and the capacity for restful sleep. It is particularly valued by those who drink heavily, work long hours in front of screens, feel dizzy or have dry eyes, or notice their hair thinning.

Method

1. Gently rinse fresh mulberries in lightly salted water, then drain. (If using dried mulberries, rinse with plain water.)
2. Rinse goji berries and schisandra berries.
3. Combine all ingredients in a small pot with 900 ml of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until 600 ml remain.
5. Drink throughout the day — you can divide it into two portions. Eat the berries as well.

Nourilo’s Tips

Fresh mulberries are in season only briefly, but they are worth seeking out — available at Chinese or Asian grocers and some farmers markets during spring. If you want to enjoy their benefits year-round, Nourilo suggests one of these approaches: rinse and steam the mulberries, then press the juice through cheesecloth and cook it down with brown sugar to make a mulberry paste (sang shen gao), which can be stored in a jar. Alternatively, you can steep them in rice wine to make a mulberry tonic wine — both methods allow you to preserve this seasonal fruit for long-term use.

Schisandra is not ideal for people whose stomachs produce too much acid. If that applies to you, always drink this tea after eating, not on an empty stomach.