Wild Kumquat & Licorice Infusion Tea

Why people make this tea

A friend brought Nourilo a bag of wild-picked kumquats — the small, intensely fragrant kind, quite different from the large cultivated ones sold in shops. Wild kumquats are naturally sun-dried without any additives, and their flavour is remarkable. Combined with a few slices of licorice root, they make one of the easiest throat-soothing teas you will ever brew: snip the dried fruit open, pour on boiling water, wait five minutes, and drink. The tea smells wonderful and is genuinely helpful for the kind of stubborn, phlegmy cough that seems to hang around for days.

Method

1. Use scissors to snip each dried kumquat open so the interior is exposed.
2. Place the cut kumquats and licorice slices together in a teapot or heatproof cup.
3. Pour in freshly boiled water.
4. Cover and steep for about 5 minutes.
5. Sip warm. The pot can usually be refilled once or twice before the flavour fades.

Nourilo’s Tips

Wild kumquats differ from cultivated ones in size (smaller) and flavour (more intense and aromatic). Look for them in shops selling Taiwanese food products or specialty dried-fruit stores. This tea doubles as a refreshing drink that quenches thirst and aids digestion — not just a cold remedy. Children who have a phlegmy cough and find the taste too strong can try half the amount, or substitute with half a luo han guo (monk fruit) brewed in water.