Iced Chrysanthemum and Ginseng Herbal Tea (洋参菊花茶)

“Warm aromatic Chrysanthemum tea to warm your hands and heart in the cold days, or a chilled glass to quench your thirst in the summer. Either way, this herbal tea is always the best drink to be enjoyed, anytime.”

Light, aromatic, and very simple, this herbal beverage makes a great accompaniment to any food, e.g. Chinese Dim Sum, stir fry, and even deep fry!

Its delicate floral aroma makes it easy to drink regularly. Chinese believes its benefits in reducing body heat as well as its contribution to clear vision. An addition of tiny ginseng root (洋参须) to Chrysanthemum tea not only doubles the cooling effect to our body system and many more nutritional values, it adds extra fragrance and flavor resulting in a herbal-inspired taste in the palate.

Nice yellow colour will be presented in the beverage after boiled/ steeped which adds visual pleasure, by just looking at it.

Well, making Chrysanthemum and ginseng root tea from scratch is not a difficult chore at all. It’s way easier than you might think, in fact. So, keep a large pot on hand to slowly enjoy it in the summer days! Delicious hot or iced.

Ingredients
60 grams of dried Chrysanthemum
30 grams of tiny ginseng roots (洋参须)
100 – 150 grams of honey rock sugar or brown rock sugar (about 2 large lumps, amount adjustable to your desire sweetness)
2000ml of water, 80% filled in a large pot

Method
1) Place dried Chrysanthemum and ginseng roots in a large disposable tea/ soup bag. Rinse the bag and set aside. (*If you do not have large enough tea bag, simply place the ingredients in the pot. Filter it only when you transfer the beverage into a separate jar.)

2) Bring water to a boil on high heat. Dissolve rock sugar in the boiling water. Bring it a boil again. Add the filled tea bag into the pot.

3) Reduce heat to low fire to simmer for 10 minutes. Heat off and cover pot with lid to allow standing time of 5 – 10 minutes, before removing the tea bag. Serve warm or iced. Alternatively, let it cool and keep in the refrigerator to chill before serve. Chrysanthemum herbal tea can be stored in the fridge up to a week.

A large glass of this herbal tea counts about 100kcal.

Dried Chrysanthemum and ginseng roots sold in packets are available in major Asian supermarkets or Chinese medical hall. S$3 – 5 per packet each.

Tips: Do not over boil as the nutrients and medical effects will be destroyed.
*Use honey or brown rock sugar is healthier than using the white processed type. You may even omit the sugar adding, if desired.
*The flavor of tiny ginseng roots might taste too over-whelming for some people, reduce the amount, if necessary.