Buddha's hand and fresh mandarin tea
A fragrant, caffeine-free tea of dried Buddha's hand, fresh mandarin peel and juice with red dates — bright, citrusy and calming for the afternoon.
- 15 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation shows up as low mood, a tight chest and frequent sighing. Buddha's hand soothes the liver and moves qi, while in-season mandarins are sweet and appetising and their peel lifts the spirits — caffeine-free, refreshing and calming.
Method
Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min- 1Scrub the mandarin in warm salty water. Pare off about half the peel with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith, and cut it into thin strips; squeeze the juice from the fruit.
- 2Rinse the Buddha's hand slices and bring them to the boil with the red dates, peel and water, then simmer for 8 minutes.
- 3Turn off the heat and add the mandarin juice. Let it cool until comfortable to drink before stirring in the honey, then pour into a flask.
- 4Sip it slowly through the afternoon; top up the Buddha's hand and peel with hot water for a second cup.
Cautions
- Buddha's hand is warm and slightly drying — go easy if you have a dry mouth, sore throat or feel overheated.
Chef's tips
- No Buddha's hand? Use a piece of aged tangerine peel instead; dried Buddha's hand is sold at herbal shops and some supermarkets.
- Add the mandarin juice off the heat — boiling it dulls the fresh, fruity flavour.
The TCM view
Buddha's hand is pungent, bitter, sour and warm; it enters the liver, spleen and stomach, soothes the liver, moves qi and settles the stomach. Fresh mandarin peel is pungent and fragrant and moves qi, while the fruit is sweet, sour and cool and creates fluids. Red dates are sweet and warm and calm the mind. Warm with cool, fragrant with sweet — it moves qi without depleting it.
