Grain Buds · Tea break · Phlegm-Dampness
Corn silk & lotus leaf tea
Corn silk, lotus leaf and aged tangerine peel steeped in a flask — fragrant, sugar-free and good for clearing damp.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Steep
- Easy
NeutralDrains water & dampMoves qi, clears phlegm
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness brings heaviness, phlegm and a thick waist, and Grain Buds rain makes damp linger. Corn silk drains water, lotus leaf resolves damp and tangerine peel moves qi and clears phlegm — sugar-free and light, a good swap for bubble tea.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 20 min- 1Rinse the corn silk and snip off any dark ends. Cut the dried lotus leaf into small pieces and rinse. Soak the tangerine peel until soft and scrape off the pith.
- 2Put everything in a flask or teapot, pour over the boiling water, cover and steep for 20 minutes.
- 3Strain and sip slowly. Top up with boiling water for a second steep and finish it over the afternoon.
Cautions
- Corn silk is a mild diuretic and may lower blood pressure slightly; if you take diuretics or blood-pressure medicine, check with your doctor first.
Chef's tips
- Keep the silk when you buy fresh corn — rinse and use it straight away, or dry it in the sun to store.
- Lotus leaf and tangerine peel are sold at herbal shops; one pack lasts many pots.
The TCM view
Corn silk is sweet, bland and neutral and drains water and damp; lotus leaf is bitter and neutral, clears summer heat and resolves damp; aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moves qi, strengthens the spleen and dries phlegm, keeping the tea from turning cool. Mild and light, it clears damp without draining your strength.
