Toasted rice tea with aged tangerine peel
Rice dry-toasted until golden, brewed with aged tangerine peel and ginger — sugar-free and just right after rich New Year food.
- 35 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness brings a heavy body, a greasy mouth and phlegm — worse after rich, sweet New Year food. Toasted rice settles digestion, tangerine peel and ginger move qi and clear phlegm, and the tea is sugar-free and warming — ideal for shaking off post-festive heaviness at Lichun.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 30 min- 1Give the rice a quick rinse and drain well. Toast it in a dry wok with no oil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–12 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- 2Soak the tangerine peel for 10 minutes until soft, then scrape off a little of the white pith to reduce bitterness.
- 3Bring the water to the boil, add the toasted rice, peel and ginger, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- 4Strain out the rice and pour the tea into a flask for the office; sip it warm in the afternoon.
Cautions
- Toasted rice and tangerine peel are warm and drying — cut back if you have a dry mouth, sore throat or constipation.
Chef's tips
- Toast a bigger batch, cool it and keep it in an airtight jar; use within two weeks.
The TCM view
Toasting turns rice warm; it strengthens the spleen, settles the stomach and helps clear food and damp. Aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moves qi and dries damp to resolve phlegm; ginger is pungent and slightly warm, warms the middle and guards against wind-cold. Warm but not cloying, it helps digestion clear damp.
