Purple-Skin Garlic & Dried Tangerine Tea

Why people make this tea

Whooping cough cases have surged in recent years, with health authorities recording numbers not seen in half a century. The bacteria responsible have a particular grip on very young infants — those in the first few months of life before their vaccination schedule fully kicks in. Against this backdrop, Nourilo revisited this old household remedy that Cantonese families have relied on for generations.

The star ingredient is the purple-skin single-clove garlic. Garlic contains allicin and related sulphur compounds that have been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and viruses — including those responsible for respiratory infections. The purple-skin variety is considered by practitioners to be the most potent. Paired with jie bing (dried tangerine cake) — a shelf-stable preserved fruit that soothes the throat, stops cough, and tastes mildly sweet — this two-ingredient tea is as easy to make as it is gentle on a small child’s palate.