Microcos leaf and malt tea with hawthorn
Microcos leaf, toasted malt and hawthorn brewed into a tangy tea that settles the stomach — just the thing when summer heat blunts your appetite and leaves you bloated.
- 35 min
- Serves 4
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-damp types feel heavy and bloat easily, and Minor Heat's humidity, plus cold drinks and rich food, leaves the spleen and stomach sluggish and meals sitting heavy. Microcos leaf clears heat, resolves damp and relieves food stagnation, malt aids digestion, hawthorn whets the appetite and tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp. Tangy-sweet, it's a Cantonese summer favourite for indigestion.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 30 min- 1Rinse everything; soak the tangerine peel until soft and scrape off the pith.
- 2Put it all in a pot with the water, bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer for 30 minutes.
- 3Strain, sweeten with a little slab sugar if you like and drink warm.
Cautions
- Malt can reduce breast milk and hawthorn should be avoided in pregnancy, so skip this tea if pregnant or breastfeeding; go easy with excess stomach acid or ulcers.
Chef's tips
- Microcos leaves and toasted malt are sold at herbal tea shops and Chinese herbalists; make a batch, keep it in the fridge and reheat before drinking.
The TCM view
Microcos leaf is sour, bland and neutral, clearing heat, relieving food stagnation and draining damp — a common southern Chinese summer herb. Malt is sweet and neutral, moving qi, aiding digestion and strengthening the spleen. Hawthorn is sour, sweet and slightly warm, dispersing food stagnation and moving blood; tangerine peel regulates qi and dries damp. Together they resolve damp and stagnation for phlegm-damp types bloated by summer.
