Dried Lychee Xiao Yao Tea (Free & Easy Wanderer Tea)

Why people make this tea

Low mood, emotional flatness, and a persistent sense of joylessness are experiences many people — especially women navigating the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause — know well. In traditional Chinese medicine, this cluster of symptoms is often understood as “liver qi stagnation” (gan qi yu jie) — a state in which the liver’s natural tendency to keep energy and emotions flowing freely has become blocked, leaving a person feeling tight, suppressed, and unable to relax.

The classical formula for this is Xiao Yao San — literally “Free and Easy Wanderer” — a roughly 1,000-year-old prescription built around bupleurum and white peony root. Nourilo’s adaptation takes those core herbs and wraps them in the gentleness of dried lychee (which nourishes the liver and calms the heart), lily bulb (which settles the mind), white atractylodes (which supports the digestive foundation that emotional wellbeing depends on), and chrysanthemum (which cools any heat that has built up from prolonged emotional tension).

The result is a tea with a mild, slightly earthy-sweet flavour that both men and women can drink. It is particularly well-suited to women in the lead-up to menopause, when hormonal fluctuations can amplify emotional sensitivity and make everyday stresses feel overwhelming.

Method

1. Remove the shells from the dried lychee.
2. Soak and rinse all herbs except the chrysanthemum.
3. Combine all ingredients except chrysanthemum in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Add the chrysanthemum flowers and cook for a further 10 minutes.
6. Strain and drink warm. The tea has a mild, slightly earthy-sweet taste with a gentle floral note from the chrysanthemum.

Nourilo’s Tips

Dried lychee is available at Chinese specialty grocery stores and herbal medicine shops. This tea has a mild herbal taste that most people find quite pleasant. Both men and women can drink it. However, pregnant women must not use this formula. For those who want to start taking care of their emotional wellbeing before reaching menopause, this is an excellent regular tea — not waiting until symptoms become disruptive, but building resilience earlier. Nourilo also encourages finding enjoyable activities, nurturing social connections, and staying curious — food therapy works best when paired with a life that has things to look forward to.