Lemon, Buddha's hand and mint tea
Dried Buddha's hand and lemon steeped into a hot tea, finished with fresh mint — fragrant and refreshing, a soothing cup when you feel low or tense.
- 15 min
- Serves 2
- Steep
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi stagnation brings low moods, a tight, bloated chest and frequent sighing, and the close weather of Grain in Ear makes irritability worse. Buddha's hand soothes the liver and settles the stomach, mint eases constraint and clears the head, and lemon's fragrance refreshes. Three aromatics together leave you noticeably more relaxed.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min- 1Rinse the Buddha's hand slices, put them in a teapot, pour over the hot water and steep for 10 minutes.
- 2When the tea has cooled to about 60°C, add the lemon slices and mint and steep for 2 minutes more.
- 3Stir in a little honey to taste. Drink warm or leave to cool.
Cautions
- Buddha's hand and mint are dispersing, so they are not for long-term use by those with qi deficiency or heavy sweating; use less lemon if you have excess stomach acid.
Chef's tips
- Don't pour boiling water onto lemon or honey — the peel turns bitter and the honey loses its goodness. Lightly bruise the mint to release its aroma.
The TCM view
Buddha's hand is pungent, bitter, sour and warm, soothing the liver, regulating qi and settling the stomach. Mint is pungent and cool, clearing the head and soothing the liver. Lemon is sour, sweet and cool, generating fluids and settling the stomach; honey moistens and harmonises. Aromatic, liver-soothing herbs with warm and cool in balance move qi without depleting it.
