Cooling Summertime Tea

It’s a hot summer here in New York City.  In China there is a very simple herbal tea which is used to stay cool:

Chrysanthemum flowers and Wolfberry (Ju Hua and Gou ji zi) Tea

Chrysanthemum and Wolfberries

Ingredients:
Ju hua and gou qi zi- 6 grams each
2 sugar cubes
hot water

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cup and add hot water.  Enjoy!
When you finish, refill the cup again. The same herbs can be used a few times.

How it works:

The tea is not cold itself, traditionally it is drunk while still warm. But the herbal properties make it cool. Ju hua are chrysanthemum flowers and Gou ji zi are wolfberries (which recently have become well known for the powerful anti-oxidant abilities).

Ju Hua (Chrysanthimum flowers)

Ju hua is cooling while gou qi zi generates fluids, preventing dehydration. Ju hua is especially helpful for summer time colds and headaches.  This combination can also be used for eye allergies like redness and tearing.

Wolfberries (Gou qi zi)