Herbal & Flower Teas
Roasted Radish Seed, Ginger and Tangerine Cake Tea
traditionally used to warm the lungs, transform cold phlegm, and relieve cough with thin white sputum
Why people make this tea
Not all coughs are the same. Traditional Chinese food therapy draws a clear distinction between a cough caused by heat patterns — with yellow, thick, sticky phlegm — and one caused by cold, where the phlegm is thin, white, and watery, and the person feels chilled and congested. This tea is designed specifically for the second type: the wind-cold cough.
Radish seeds (lai fu zi) are the seeds of the common radish, and have long been used in Chinese herbal cooking as a phlegm-dissolving, digestion-supporting ingredient. The raw seed has a strong upward-rushing action that can cause nausea or vomiting, so dry-roasting transforms this: roasted radish seeds (炒莱菔子, chao lai fu zi) work downward and inward, reducing phlegm and settling the chest without causing discomfort. Modern research has confirmed antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, as well as mild blood-pressure-lowering effects.
Fresh ginger warms the lungs from within, helping to dissolve cold phlegm and restore warmth to a chest that feels tight and congested. Tangerine cake adds throat-soothing sweetness and rounds out the blend.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Adults and children with a cold-type cough: thin white phlegm, feeling of cold or chilliness, absence of fever or sore throat
- Helpful for elderly patients with chronic bronchitis of the cold-phlegm type
- Also supportive for digestive bloating in children (xiao er gan ji)
- Do not use for heat-type coughs (yellow or green phlegm, sore throat, red face, fever) — this tea is warming and would be counter-productive
- Qi-deficient individuals should use cautiously. Do not combine with tonic herbs such as ginseng, codonopsis, or astragalus
- For children: reduce roasted radish seeds to 3 qian (approximately 11 g)
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Roasted radish seeds (chao lai fu zi): The roasted form has a downward-directing action, reducing phlegm accumulation and settling the chest. More gentle than the raw seed; suitable for elderly or weaker constitutions. Also has mild blood-pressure-lowering and antimicrobial effects.
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warms the lung and stomach, disperses cold, and helps dissolve cold phlegm. One of the most fundamental warming ingredients in Chinese food therapy.
- Tangerine cake (ju bing): A dried preserved tangerine with sweet, soothing properties. Eases chest tightness, calms the cough reflex, and adds natural sweetness so no additional sugar is needed.
Ingredients (2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted radish seeds (chao lai fu zi) | ~19 g (5 qian) | Available at Chinese herbalists; reduce to 3 qian for children |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | |
| Tangerine cake (ju bing) | 1 piece | Chop finely before adding |
Method
- Chop the tangerine cake finely.
- Combine all ingredients in a small pot with 4 bowls of water (approximately 1 litre).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until reduced to about 2 bowls.
- Drink warm. The tangerine cake provides enough sweetness — no sugar needed.
Bro Niu’s tips
Tangerine cake is already very sweet, so there is no need to add sugar. This tea is particularly well-suited to elderly people with chronic bronchitis who are not strong enough to tolerate the raw radish seed. For younger children (around 2 years old), the dose can be given, but reduce the roasted radish seed quantity to 3 qian.
Remember: if someone is taking any form of qi-tonifying supplement — ginseng, codonopsis, astragalus, or similar — they should stop or pause those while using this tea, as the two work in opposing directions.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Ling): Can a 2-year-old child take this tea? Bro Niu: Yes, children can have this for cold-pattern coughs. For a 2-year-old, reduce the roasted radish seeds to 3 qian.
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Q (Kristy, living in Australia): My husband has had a cough for over a month after a cold. He coughs badly at night and has thin white phlegm, but we cannot find tangerine cake in Australia. What can we use instead? Bro Niu: Try a brew with one onion (peeled and cut into chunks), 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, and a small amount of rock sugar, in 4 bowls of water simmered to 2 bowls. Both ingredients should be easy to find. This combination helps with post-cold cough.
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Q (Man): My 3-year-old has clear nasal discharge, coughs when exposed to cold air or laughter, and the cough stops with warm water. Can you suggest something? Bro Niu: Try steeping 6 crushed xin yi hua (magnolia buds) in hot water to make a tea; you can add a little honey. Avoid giving cold drinks and cold fruit for now. Apples, strawberries, loquat fruit, grapes, and blueberries are acceptable in small amounts.
Published September 28, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
