Herbal & Flower Teas
Hawthorn Ginger Goji Sichuan Pepper Tea
Traditionally used to dispel cold and ease joint discomfort
Why people make this tea
Sichuan pepper is one of Bro Niu’s favourite kitchen spices — a little with ginger lifts the aroma of braised beef shank, tripe and tendon. What many people don’t realise is that it can also be used in food therapy: it is traditionally said to warm the middle, support the spleen and dispel cold and damp. Paired with blood-moving hawthorn, immune-supporting goji and blood-nourishing red dates, this warming cup is made for the achy shoulders and stiff joints that flare up in cold weather.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Good for people whose joints ache and feel hard to bend in cold weather, and for those with a poor appetite.
- Not suitable for those with yin-deficiency heat (excess internal heat) or for pregnant women. It is warming and slightly spicy.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Sichuan pepper (hua jiao): traditionally warms the middle, dispels cold and damp, and is an aromatic that supports the stomach.
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): warming, pairs with Sichuan pepper to drive out cold.
- Hawthorn (shan zha): traditionally moves the blood and resolves stasis.
- Goji berries (gou qi zi): traditionally associated with supporting immunity and the liver.
- Red dates (hong zao): support the spleen and nourish the blood, softening the spicy edge.
Ingredients (2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn | 1 tbsp | Rinsed |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | — |
| Goji berries | 1 tbsp | Rinsed |
| Sichuan pepper | 1 tbsp | Rinsed |
| Red dates | 3 | Pitted |
Method
- Rinse all ingredients; pit the red dates.
- Put everything into a pot with 4 bowls of water.
- Boil 20 minutes until reduced to 2 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Because this uses warming Sichuan pepper and ginger, it is a touch spicy, but its cold-and-damp-dispelling, aromatic stomach-comforting effect is good — best for cold-weather joint pain, stiffness on bending, and a sluggish appetite. People with yin-deficiency heat and pregnant women should not drink it.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (yiyi): What can I drink to speed up reducing swelling after surgery? Bro Niu: Try Chinese yam (1 liang), poria and bai zhu (3 qian each) and one tangerine peel, simmered into a winter-melon-and-lean-pork soup; it helps drain water and reduce swelling.
- Q (anonymous reader): An elderly family member has just had hip-replacement surgery. Any soups or care tips? Bro Niu: If they have an appetite, the best is a double-boiled fish-maw chicken soup — but only a small amount at a time, about a palm-sized piece, with bei qi (3 qian), goji (3 qian), Chinese yam (1 liang) and 5 red dates, double-boiled 2 hours, to help recovery. If not using fish maw, a fresh fish soup is just as good. Avoid sour foods and do not eat pears.
Published January 5, 2026 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
