This beautiful, easy to brew, Chrysanthemum Wolfberry Tea 菊花枸杞茶 is infused with the light, entrancing floral fragrance and punctuated by bursts of plumply tart wolfberries. Cooling to the body, calming to the nerves, boosting to the immune system as well as being super easy on the eye, a more soothing healthy tea tonic is naught to be found. Let's hear it for Flower Power!
Dried chrysanthemum flowers 幹菊花 is literally just that, dried chrysanthemum blossoms. How cool is that?! I remember the first time I ever saw these dried flowers blooming in a tea. My grandmother 外婆 had just fixed my grandfather 外公 a tall glass of chrysanthemum tea. She placed it on the table by his hand and I watched the blossoms unfurl until they once again looked like living flowers. It was magical and unforgettable.
These blossoms infuse the tea with a light delicate floral taste and scent. The texture of the blossoms, if you want to eat them, is softly crunchy and chewy.
According to traditional Chinese medicine chrysanthemum flowers cool your body down when your body is 'hot' by clearing your liver and lowering blood pressure. If you've got an oncoming sore throat, dryness in the mouth, headache or your eyes are dry and tired, this tea is gonna help. Also you can (like we do!) use it just to cool down and relax after a long hot day.
Where to buy? In Hong Kong, I can get dried chrysanthemum flowers at the Chinese dried goods section of the grocery store, at Chinese medicine shops and at the wet market. In other places I think the any Chinese grocery market would carry it.
The other ingredient in this tea is the dried wolfberry 枸杞, also known as goji berry. These little dried fruits are often added into Chinese teas, tonics and even desserts. They have a slightly tart fruity taste and a lovely plump pop when bitten into.
According to traditional Chinese medicine wolfberries boost the immune system, enhance eyesight, protect the liver and help circulation.
You can find these at the same places that dried chrysanthemums are found.
To sweeten the our flower tea a good dollop of a light flavored honey is needed. We like to use a local honey like the delicate longan honey, yum! Or one could also use a bit 'o Chinese rock sugar 冰糖 for its light and clear sweetness. Honey is more expensive but gives you that wonderful unique honey taste as well as helping with allergies and general lift up of spirits.
Now for the easy peasy part, let's make some tea! Add a handful of dried flowers, a sprinkle of dried berries and a good dollop of honey into your tea cup. Kinda sounds like something woodland folk would prepare, no?
Next pour in boiling hot water and cover. Let the tea infuse for 10 mins or so.
Psst...If you're wondering about the tea cup we've used, these beautiful things are 3 part traditional Chinese tea cups known as Gaiwan tea cup 蓋碗 or 焗盅 (more info here). My hubby 老公 drinks his tea from these cups and I borrowed this one from him to make this cuppa tea. Ain't it a beauty?!
You'll know when the tea is ready when a delicate fragrance drifts off of flowers are fully blossomed and looking like they're fresh flowers once more. At this point you can serve it hot like the Chinese do (Chinese drink everything hot) or you can serve chilled for super refreshing powers. We like to make a larger amount of the tea and just chill the whole pitcher in the fridge.
When enjoying just remember to treat yourself to a deep whiff of that lovely floral scent before enjoying your yummilicious cuppa Chrysanthemum Wolfberry Tea 菊花枸杞茶. Let it relax you and carry away all your stresses and woes!
Chrysanthemum Wolfberry Tea Recipe
菊花枸杞茶
(makes 1 cuppa tea) Prep time: 1 min Cook time: 10 mins
(makes 1 cuppa tea) Prep time: 1 min Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
- 5-6 dried chrysanthemum flowers 幹菊花
- 8 dried wolfberries 枸杞
- honey or rock sugar to taste
- 1 1/4 cup boiling water
Directions:
Put the dried chrysanthemum flowers and wolfberries into tea cup. Add honey or rock sugar to taste. Pour in boiling water and cover for 10 mins or until the chrysanthemums are fully blossomed.
Give it a stir to make sure the sugar melted and mixed in. Your flower tea is ready to be enjoyed!
Tantalizing Teas at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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