Today I am going to let you in on one of the best-kept secrets in the world of tea: Ten Fu Eight Treasures Chrysanthemum Tea. Next to Lapsang Souchong, this is my favorite tea of all time. It can be hard to find in the US - I have to order it online, because no markets carry it in my neck of the woods - but it is so worth it.Eight Treasures Tea is a type of green tea with seven other ingredients, each of which are used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine:
- Chrysanthemums - help reduce fever and sore throat.
- Jujube - is said to help relieve stress; it also soothes the throat and is a general tonic to help fight the common cold
- Chinese Wolfberries are small bright-orange berries that are rich in nutrients and especially high in antioxidants
- Dragoneye fruit, also known as longan, is another relaxant
- Tremella, or snow fungus, helps soothe coughing, is valued as an immune stimulant, and may help lower LDL (or "bad") cholesterol
- Raisin - are said to reduce fever
- Rock Sugar - while it may not be medicinal in and of itself, it's common in Chinese medicinal preparations and is considered healthier and purer than common sugar
When I first discovered Eight Treasures Chrysanthemum Tea, I wasn't aware of any of this. I loved the taste - similar to green tea, but with soft floral and fruity notes - and because it was so hard to find in my area, I was careful with my stash and only had it occasionally, as a treat. But then I noticed that when I was miserable with the flu or a cold, a nice pot of Eight Treasures made me feel better, and that's when I researched the ingredients and found out about their special properties. I'm not convinced that the tea makes my colds go away faster, but I know absolutely that I suffer less by drinking it when I'm feeling under the weather, but it's a tea that I enjoy any time.Links:
Eight Treasures Chrysanthemum Tea is made by the Ten Fu division of the Ten Ren's Tea Company, and can be purchased directly from their online store, Uncle Lee's Tea.
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4 comments:
Hi, thanks for the note.
I had this in my larder for a long time (I forget who brought it for me. i fear it's gone a bit stale) but it's excellent and delivers all a nice 'feel good' factor.
i write because all the instruction on the pack are in chinese. do you know how much water one has to use for each pack? and is one supposed to munch on the flowers and berries?
kindly reply at nobelix@hotmail.com
I use one packet of tea in a four-cup teapot, and though I know many people do eat the berries, I prefer not to.
I live in NY and this is actually pretty easy to find at my local Chinese supermarket for about $4. I'm Chinese and my mom has always made this for my sister & chrysanthemum and prunella vulgaris tea when we had sore throats or had just a cooling drink in the summer, supposedly helps calm down our system if we were to consume too much chips/fried food. Great stuff~
I love this tea. It was gifted to me by a friend who traveled to China. We sat and drank it together while she told me of her travels. I kept a couple of packs and would pull them out to share with other friends when we wished to enjoy each other's company.
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