Nourishing Oriental Herbal Infusions Part IV – Chinese Teas

Tummy-Soothing Pu Erh
3g Ripened Pu Erh (preferably vintaged)
5 Dried Chrysanthemum flowers
Hot water

– Awaken the tea by pouring on hot water then quickly (in 10 seconds) strain and discard the liquor.
– Add chrysanthemum flowers to the Pu Erh tea leaves and add hot water. Infuse for 1 minute. Strain and enjoy.
– Continue to add hot water for multiple infusions throughout the day.

Qi Enhancing Tonic
5g UnRipened Pu Erh (preferably 3 year vintage)
10g Chinese red dates
10g Dried longan fruit
400ml Hot water

– Awaken the tea by pouring on hot water then quickly (in 10 seconds) strain and discard the liquor.
– Add dates and longan fruit to the Pu Erh tea leaves and add the water. Infuse for 1 minute. Strain and enjoy.
– Continue to add hot water for multiple infusions throughout the day.

Muscle Relaxing Infusion
10g Lightly oxidised oolong (like Lishan Oolong or Gardenia Fragrance Phoenix Oolong)
5ml Vinegar of your choice (I prefer Korean persimmon vinegar)
500ml Hot water

– Infuse the tea in the hot water for 1-2 minutes.
– Stir in the vinegar and enjoy it hot!

Summer cooling tea
25g Green tea leaves
250g Fresh bitter gourd

– Clean the bitter gourd and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the bitter gourd and lightly dry the slices in a very low oven for 20 minutes. Mix with green tea leaves while still warm. Leave to cool and store in airtight container.
– Brew this home-made cooling tea by adding 1 part to 10 part hot water and infusing for 1-2 minutes.

Sweet Apricot Black Tea
5 Dried apricot pieces
6g premium black tea (like Organic Golden Monkey)
450ml Cold water

– Add the water and apricot pieces into a pot and bring to a boil.
– Remove from the heat and add the black tea leaves and infuse for 2 minutes.
– Strain and enjoy the tea and the softened apricot pieces.

Summer Black Tea Beer
250ml Chilled beer
3g Black tea
250ml Hot water
Agave syrup to taste
Ice
– Brew the black tea with the hot water. Strain and chill.
– Add agave syrup to taste when chilled.
– Add 1 part black tea brew to 1 part beer. Serve on the rocks.

Hair Nourishing Oolong and Sesame Brew
3g Black sesame seeds
2g Dark oolong (like Honey Orchid Phoenix or Wuyi Shuixian)
200ml hot water

– Dry fry the black sesame seeds till fragrant. Grind the sesame seeds.
– Add the ground sesame seeds to the dark oolong tea leaves. Infuse with the hot water for 1 minute and strain.
– Add water for multiple infusions.

Revitalising Pu erh Rice Pudding
6g Ripened Pu Erh (preferably vintaged)
10g Dried Chrysanthemum flowers
100g Jasmine rice, washed and strained
2tsp sugar or brown sugar to taste
300ml Hot water

– Brew the Pu Erh and chrysanthemum with the hot water. Strain and set aside
– Add the tea brew and rice to a pot and bring to a boil. Then lower heat to a simmer. Stir and add more water to achieved desired consistency.
– Add sugar and serve hot.

Green Tea Bath
50g Dried used green tea leaves
muslin cloth

– Collect all the brewed green tea leaves after drying them in a very low oven or under the sun.
– Put them into a muslin cloth packet.
– Add to your hot bath, enjoy the fragrance of the green tea and absorb the green tea from the outside in!

Osmanthus Oolong Tea
3g Dried osmanthus Flowers
3g Lightly oxidised oolong tea leaves
Rock sugar to taste
500ml Hot water

– Infuse the tea and osmanthus flowers in the hot water for 1-2 minutes.
– Strain and add rock sugar to taste.
– Continue to add hot water for multiple infusions.