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PANguin

Autumn · from 7 Sept

White Dew

白露

Moisten Lungs, generate fluids.

Next: Autumn Equinox on 23 Sept — 16 days

Tailor to a constitution

Buddha's hand, wheat & red date tea
White Dew · Tea break · Qi Stagnation

Buddha's hand, wheat & red date tea

Fragrant Buddha's hand with sweet wheat berries and red dates — a warm flask of calm for a hectic afternoon.

  • 30 min
  • Serves 2
  • Simmer
  • Easy
NeutralSoothes liver, moves qiCalms the mind

Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation brings low mood and a tight chest or sides, and autumn easily stirs melancholy. Buddha's hand soothes the liver and moves qi, while wheat and red dates calm the heart — an everyday version of the classic Gan Mai Da Zao Tang, instead of coffee.

Method

Prep 5 min · Cook 25 min
  1. 1Rinse the wheat berries and Buddha's hand slices; pit and halve the red dates.
  2. 2Put everything in a pot with 800 ml water, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes.
  3. 3Strain into a flask and sip it in two or three goes between 3 and 4 pm — eat the dates too.

Cautions

  • Wheat contains gluten — skip this tea if you have coeliac disease or a wheat allergy.

Chef's tips

  • Buddha's hand and wheat berries are sold at herbal shops; add a small piece of aged tangerine peel for extra fragrance.

The TCM view

Buddha's hand is pungent, bitter, sour and warm; it soothes the liver, moves qi and settles the stomach. Wheat is sweet and cool and calms the heart and restlessness; red dates are sweet and warm, building qi, nourishing blood and calming the mind. Modelled on Gan Mai Da Zao Tang — sweetness to soothe, fragrance to move qi.

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Seasonal principle

Temperatures drop at night. Protect the Lungs and start warming the body slightly. Longans and dates help nourish blood. It is crucial to keep your feet and abdomen warm to prevent cold from invading the meridians. Incorporate gentle aerobic exercises to strengthen lung capacity.

In season now

In season around White Dew: Longan, Dates, Sweet Potato, Grapes, Walnuts

Tap an ingredient for its nature, uses and nutrition.

Qi Stagnation

Stress, low mood and frequent sighing

Enjoy: Rose bud tea · Aged tangerine peel · Citrus fruit · Kelp · Daylily buds

Go easy: Too much caffeine · Alcohol · Stress eating

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Based on traditional Chinese medicine for general wellness education — not a medical diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms persist, are severe or unusual, please see a doctor or registered Chinese medicine practitioner.