Herbal & Flower Teas
Longan and American Ginseng Tea
Traditionally used to nourish the heart blood and settle the mind
Why people make this tea
Falling asleep easily is its own kind of luck — good sleep gives the body time to repair, so you wake clear-headed and bright. When sleep is broken, dream-filled, or hard to come by, people often feel run-down, pale, and short of breath with a fluttery heart. Bro Niu’s longan and American ginseng tea is a fragrant little brew traditionally taken to nourish the heart blood and settle the mind, which is why it suits those tired, pale, forgetful, poor-sleeping spells.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits people with restless, dream-filled sleep, a fluttery heart, pale complexion, or nervous exhaustion; pleasant and mild.
- Skip it while a cold is still unresolved. People with diabetes should replace the longan (high in sugar) with goji berries (gou qi zi).
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Longan flesh (gui yuan rou): traditionally nourishes the heart blood and calms the spirit; warming, so used in moderation.
- American ginseng (hua qi shen): associated with gently tonifying qi while clearing heat — cooling rather than heating, so it balances the warmth of longan.
Ingredients (1 pot, 1 person)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried longan flesh | ~19 g (5 qian) | Diabetics: swap for goji berries |
| American ginseng | ~11 g (3 qian) | Sliced; buy genuine US/Canadian ginseng |
| White sugar | to taste | Raw / brown sugar is fine too |
Method
- Put the longan flesh and sliced American ginseng into a teapot.
- Pour in freshly boiled water and steep about 7 minutes.
- Stir in sugar to taste and serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This tea is fragrant and pleasant, and it suits people with nervous exhaustion as well. The one caution: do not drink it while you still have an unresolved cold. Genuine American ginseng comes from the US and Canada — light in weight, with fine chrysanthemum-like grain in the slice and a clean, sweet aftertaste; buy from a specialist shop and have them slice it for you.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (mandy): Can people with diabetes drink the longan and American ginseng tea? Should the amount be reduced? Bro Niu: Longan is high in sugar, so people with diabetes are better off swapping it for goji berries.
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Q (Sylvia): I don’t have insomnia, but I dream every night and sleep poorly. Is this tea okay? Must I add sugar? Can American ginseng be replaced? Bro Niu: For lots of dreaming, try dry-roasting sour jujube seed (suan zao ren) and biota seed (bai zi ren), one tablespoon each, and steeping as tea; drink for 3 days and see if it helps. If you don’t mind a little warmth, add 6–8 longan for flavor.
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Q (candy): My 17-year-old daughter has heavy schoolwork, often can’t sleep, and is run-down. Can she drink this tea? Bro Niu: Yes, she can have this — it is associated with nourishing the blood and supporting the brain.
Published September 6, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
