Perilla Leaf, Ginger, and Brown Sugar Tea

Why people make this tea

If you have ever stepped out of an over-chilled office or shopping mall and felt that familiar creeping chill — a bit of sneezing, a drippy nose, and a sudden desire for something hot — this is the tea Nourilo reaches for first. Perilla leaf (zi su) is a common and inexpensive herb available fresh at Chinese and Asian grocery shops almost year-round, usually sold in small bundles. It has a pleasantly aromatic quality that makes this tea quite enjoyable to drink, and the ginger and brown sugar give it a gentle warming sweetness. Healthy people can drink it too — it is considered broadly useful for strengthening the body’s surface defence and keeping the appetite strong in hot, humid weather.