Honeysuckle Dandelion Tea

Why people make this tea

Mastitis — inflammation of the breast — is one of the most common challenges new mothers face. The breast becomes red, swollen, hot and painful, and in serious cases can develop into an abscess. At the very first signs of inflammation, before it progresses, traditional Cantonese food therapy calls for a tea made from two cooling, anti-inflammatory herbs: honeysuckle (jin yin hua) and dandelion (pu gong ying). Both have a long history in Chinese herbal medicine for addressing heat-type inflammations. Nourilo emphasises that food therapy here is supportive, not curative — physical techniques (expressing milk fully, warm compresses, gentle massage) are essential partners.

Method

1. Rinse the honeysuckle and dandelion briefly under cold water.
2. Combine with 900 ml of water in a small saucepan. If adding red dates and tangerine peel, add them now.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until 600 ml remain.
4. Strain and divide into 2 portions.
5. Drink one portion after a morning breastfeed and one portion after an evening breastfeed. Continue for 3–5 days.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This tea is effective for mastitis accompanied by chills, fever, headache, chest discomfort, and a bitter dry mouth — the classic pattern of heat-type mastitis.
• Food therapy alone is insufficient: you must also express all the milk from the blocked breast thoroughly after each feed. Apply a warm, damp towel to the affected area and massage gently — this combination speeds recovery significantly.
• If you recently had a caesarean and are in the first few weeks postpartum, add tangerine peel and red dates to moderate the cooling nature of the formula.
• Drink the tea after breastfeeding your baby, not before.
• If the tea has not helped after 2 servings (2 days), see a doctor.