Eight Treasures Tea (Ba Bao Cha)
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Eight Treasures Tea or Ba Bao Cha (八宝茶) is a famous Chinese herbal tea originating from Yunnan China. The royal and auspicious sounding “8 treasures” refer to the 8 ingredients used, and the tea is said to be Empress Dowager Cixi’s secret recipe for beauty, longevity and youthfulness. In my home blend, the special eight consists of: jasmine tea leaves, chrysanthemum, red dates, ginseng, wolfberries, longan, rose buds and rock sugar (check out the ingredients photo on page two).
See Also: Easy Drinks Recipes
This light-tasting and soothing tea, like its lux name, is also aesthetically beautiful to look at, making me feel pampered drinking it.
Said properties of the tea include: thirst-quenching, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and “qi” balancing properties; improves appetite & digestion; reduces fatigue (depending on the ingredients you use).
Eight Treasures Tea Recipe
Eight Treasures Tea (Ba Bao Cha) is a soothing Chinese herbal tea consisting of a special blend of 8 ingredients. Feel free to tweak the recipe by substituting or adjusting the quantity of ingredients to suit your preference.
Ingredients:
- 300 ml hot boiling water
(A) Teapot ingredients
- 1 tbsp jasmine green tea leaves (香片) placed in filter bag
- 1/2 cup chrysanthemum flowers (菊花/朵朵香)
- 1 tsp rose buds (玫瑰)
- 1 tsp wolfberries (杞子)
- 4 red dates (红枣)
- 4 ginseng slices (花旗蔘片/洋参片)
- 4 dried longan (龙眼)
(B) Teacup ingredients
- 4 chrysanthemum flowers
- 4 rose buds
- 16 wolfberries
- 4 red dates
- 4 ginseng slices
- 4 dried longan
- 12 small pieces of rock sugar (冰糖) to taste
Directions:
- Add (A) into a 350ml capacity tea pot. Pour boiling water and allow the tea to infuse/seep for a few minutes.
- Divide (B) equally into four serving tea cups.
- Pour hot tea from tea pot into serving cups. Make a second pot of tea by topping up with hot water and rock sugar as needed.
Noob Cook Tips
- Apart from the above ingredients, other commonly used ingredients in Eight Treasures Tea include dried lily buds, long jing or oolong tea leaves, orange peel, dried raisins and licorice roots. Feel free to substitute the recipe with your favourite ingredients.