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Chrysanthemum Tea
Chilled Chrysanthemum Tea 菊花茶
The weather is so hot right now in Singapore that it is becoming unbearable. I really miss the rainy days so much. How does one cope when things get too hot to handle? Herbal cooling tea (凉茶), in this case, the no-fuss Chrysanthemum Tea – comes to the rescue!
This requires just a few ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to make. It quenches your thirst and has “cooling” properties, which bring down body heat. It is suitable for all seasons & perfect especially for Singapore’s all-year-round tropical weather as well as the hot summer months.
Ingredients
(Serves 2)– 50g dried chrysanthemum flowers (菊花/朵朵香)
– 1.5 litre water
– 50g rock sugar (adjust to taste)Directions
1. In a pot, bring water to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, add chrysanthemum. Simmer for a minute or two (do not simmer for too long). Add rock sugar to taste and turn off the stove when the sugar has dissolved. Serve the drink at room temperature or chilled.
2. Take out the chrysanthemum flowers andsieve the liquid through a strainer. Drink chilled or at room temperature.
Variations
1. Add 10g licorice (liquorice) roots (aka gan zao) or about 8 pieces in step 1. Read about its health benefits below, but skip this if you are pregnant or have high-blood pressure.
Cooking Notes
1. You can also add 1 tsp of wolfberries (soaked in water till puffy first) if desired.
2. There are a type of chrysanthemum flowers which do not require boiling (杭菊); simply place the ingredients in a cup/tea pot, pour boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. However, I prefer to bring the ingredients to a brief simmer to let the flavours seep in.
3. If you do not want to use a strainer, you can put the chrysanthemum flowers in disposable soup pouches and discard the entire pouch after simmering.
Some Possible Benefits of Chrysanthemum
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– quench thirst – detoxify the body – aid in recovery from influenza, mild sunstroke – ‘cooling’ property which regulates the body’s ‘yin and yang’, reducing internal body heat |
Some Possible Benefits of Licorice Root
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– fight inflammation, infections, and allergies – help soothe coughs and colds – improve digestion – ease menstrual cramps |
I’m submitting this entry to WHB which is hosted by Food Lover’s Journey.
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gorgeous shot!
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Hi,
Another way to make this nice drink is to add the chrysanthemum flower at the last step. This way, the drink would look clearer and more transparent. Surprisingly, it still tastes good and not too bitter (if you boil it too long).
Thanks to my girlfriend’s mum for this tip. :]
Thanks for sharing this tip, I really appreciate it. Will try it next time :)
another way to get clear tea is to run it through a sieve before serving.
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Would like to know which colour crysanthemums can be used to make tea. I have purple, lavender and yellow ones. Are tehy all ok to make teas from
I only seen yellow chrysanthemum flowers as shown in my photos, never come across the purple types :)
Hi, i tried boiling but my Chrysanthemum tea turned out to be bitter. May you advise what’s the problem? Thanks!
Hi, did you simmer for too long? Only need to simmer 1-2 minutes.
Hmm.. perhaps cos I waited for ‘boiling bubbles’ to appear before turning off the fire. Could too much flowers also cause the bitterness? I doubled up your recipe and so the flowers seem like a lot ;)
I really love this !!!i love chrysanthemun tea when i was small