Chrysanthemum tea with fresh star fruit
A pot of unsweetened chrysanthemum tea with crisp, juicy star fruit slices — clears heat and cuts greasiness, no iced drink needed.
- 15 min
- Serves 2
- Steep
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-Heat shows up as a bitter mouth, spots and a heavy body. Hong Kong is still warm at Autumn Equinox; chrysanthemum clears heat while star fruit quenches thirst and drains damp — unsweetened and refreshing, and far better than sugary drinks or fried snacks.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 5 min- 1Give the chrysanthemum a quick rinse and put it in a flask or teapot.
- 2Pour in water at about 90°C, cover and steep for 5 minutes. No sugar needed.
- 3Soak the star fruit in lightly salted water for 5 minutes and rinse. Trim the dark edges off the five ridges, slice into stars and remove the seeds.
- 4Pack the star fruit in a box and take it to the office with the tea, to sip and nibble through the afternoon.
Cautions
- Anyone with kidney disease or poor kidney function must not eat star fruit — have an Asian pear instead.
Chef's tips
- Golden-yellow star fruit with plump ridges is sweetest; green ones are sour.
- Top up the chrysanthemum with hot water once or twice until the flavour fades.
The TCM view
Chrysanthemum is sweet, bitter and slightly cold; it disperses wind-heat, cools the liver and brightens the eyes. Star fruit is sweet, sour and cold; it clears heat, generates fluids and promotes urination. One clears heat from the head and face, the other carries damp-heat out through the urine. Cool and light overall, it clears damp-heat without being cloying.
