Jigucao herbal tea with dragon fruit
A traditional Cantonese cooling tea of jigucao (chicken bone herb) simmered with candied dates and tangerine peel, served with sweet, juicy dragon fruit — clearing on sticky late-summer afternoons.
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves 4
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: The 'autumn tiger' makes Start of Autumn hot and humid, and a Damp-heat constitution is prone to a bitter taste, red eyes and dark urine. Jigucao clears heat, drains damp and soothes the liver — a time-honoured Cantonese herbal tea for damp heat — and with sweet dragon fruit it makes a clearing, thirst-quenching afternoon break.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 60 min- 1Soak the jigucao for 10 minutes and rinse well, removing any pods (the pods and seeds are poisonous).
- 2Put it in a pan with the candied dates and tangerine peel, add the water, bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Strain and let it cool until warm.
- 3Cut the dragon fruit into pieces and serve with a cup of the tea.
Cautions
- The pods and seeds of jigucao are poisonous, so always remove them; don't drink herbal tea every day, and avoid it if your digestion runs cold or you're pregnant.
Chef's tips
- Herbal shops sell jigucao with the pods already removed; drink the tea warm, never iced.
The TCM view
Jigucao is sweet, slightly bitter and cool, clearing heat, draining damp, soothing the liver and easing pain. Dragon fruit is sweet and cool, clearing heat and lubricating the intestines. Candied dates moisten and sweeten, softening the herb's bitter coolness, and tangerine peel regulates qi and strengthens the spleen so the tea is gentler on the stomach. Clears heat and drains damp — suited to Damp-heat.
