Traditional Chinese Herbal Tea
Hanfang herbal tea refers to beverages brewed or decocted from natural Chinese herbs with health benefits, guided by Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. Many herbal teas contain varieties with medicinal properties, hence they are also called medicinal herbal teas.
Cooling Tea: Throughout history, herbal teas have been widely used for health preservation. A typical example is Cooling Tea, also known as Grass Tea or Hundred-Herbs Tea, a popular beverage in southern China (Guangdong, Fujian, etc.). The ingredients are locally sourced medicinal herbs. Due to the hot climate and high humidity in southern China, particularly the Lingnan region, people traditionally boil herbs with cooling properties to relieve heat and dampness, creating various types of "Cooling Tea." Besides clearing heat and eliminating dampness, different formulas offer distinct therapeutic and health benefits.
Typically, people drink Cooling Tea to help regulate liver function, detoxify intestines, strengthen spleen and stomach, replenish energy and blood, and refresh the mind.
Preparation Methods: Based on herb characteristics, herbal teas are mainly prepared through brewing, decocting, or mixing. Flower and grass herbs are usually brewed; decocting is used when ingredients are too numerous for a cup or when hard materials require longer extraction; mixing involves grinding herbs into powder and adding boiling water to form a paste.
Must Follow Syndrome Differentiation Principles: The key to TCM treatment lies in syndrome differentiation. Although most herbs in herbal tea formulas have mild properties, improper consumption without considering one's physical condition can still harm health.
Precautions: When consuming herbal teas for relieving external symptoms, avoid raw, cold, and sour foods; for spleen and stomach regulation, avoid raw, cold, greasy, pungent, spoiled, and hard-to-digest foods; for cough and asthma relief, avoid seafood like fish and shrimp. Optimal Timing: Tonic herbal teas are best consumed before meals to enhance absorption; teas irritating to the stomach should be taken after meals; laxative teas work best when drunk on an empty stomach in the morning; sleep-aid teas should be consumed before bedtime.