Sweet persimmon with ophiopogon & goji tea
Crisp, in-season sweet persimmon with a pot of gently sweet ophiopogon and goji tea — moistening relief for a dry Cold Dew afternoon.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Steep
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency brings a dry mouth and throat and warm palms, and dry Cold Dew air makes it worse. In-season persimmon clears heat, moistens the lungs and creates fluids, while ophiopogon and goji nourish yin — warm tea with fruit, moistening without being too cold.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 15 min- 1Rinse the ophiopogon and goji berries, crush the ophiopogon lightly with the flat of a knife and put both in a flask.
- 2Pour in 600 ml boiling water, cover and steep for 15 minutes; stir in a little honey before drinking if you like.
- 3Wash, peel and cut the persimmons, pack them in a box for the office and eat them with the tea in the afternoon.
Cautions
- Never eat persimmon on an empty stomach or with crab (including hairy crab), and always peel it.
- Leave out the goji during a cold or fever; if your digestion runs cold, half a persimmon is enough.
Chef's tips
- Choose firm, orange-red Fuyu-type persimmons — they are not astringent and can be eaten crisp. Soft, jelly-type persimmons must be fully ripe.
The TCM view
Persimmon is sweet, astringent and cold; it clears heat, moistens the lungs and relieves thirst. Ophiopogon is sweet, slightly bitter and slightly cold; it nourishes yin, moistens the lungs and stomach and calms restlessness. Goji berries are sweet and neutral and nourish liver and kidney yin. Drinking the tea warm tempers the persimmon's cold, so deficient heat settles without upsetting digestion.
