Gynura bicolor Tea (Purple-Backed Velvet Plant Tea)

Why people make this tea

Summer heat is a real thing in Chinese medicine — not just “it’s hot outside,” but a specific pattern where too much heat and sun exposure begin to interfere with how the body regulates fluid, energy, and mood. Gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui) is a plant with a distinctive purple underside to its leaves, sold dried at Chinese herbal shops. It has a naturally pleasant sweet-tart taste, which makes it easier to drink than many medicinal teas. Traditional Cantonese practitioners reach for it in summer as a general heat-clearing tonic, and it has an additional well-known use for supporting women with period pain or irregular bleeding — something that sets it apart from most other summer teas.

Method

1. Rinse the dried gynura bicolor under cold water.
2. Place in a small pot with 1.2 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Strain and serve warm or at room temperature. Chilled is particularly refreshing in summer.

Nourilo’s Tips

This tea is delicious chilled and can be enjoyed as a cold drink on hot days. Most Chinese herbal shops carry dried gynura bicolor (zi bei tian kui). If you want to serve leftovers the next day, remove the cooked herbs from the liquid before storing — leaving the plant material soaking in the liquid overnight can lead to unwanted fermentation by-products. Those who work in hot kitchen environments and are regularly exposed to cooking flames can reduce the herb’s cooling intensity by adding a small amount of brown sugar (hong tang) while cooking.