Mulberry Rock Sugar Tea

Why people make this tea

In the food-therapy tradition mulberries are valued to nourish the liver and blood, darken the hair and brighten the eyes. Preserved or dried mulberries are available at Chinese herb shops and Asian grocers, or online. This easy mulberry rock-sugar tea is a gentle, sweet way to enjoy them, traditionally favored by those who feel run-down, sleep poorly, or are recovering after illness or childbirth.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Middle-aged and older folk; people who feel weak, frazzled, or are recovering after illness; those prone to constipation
• Avoid if you have a weak, cold spleen-and-stomach with loose stools; children should not eat large amounts (tannins hinder iron and calcium absorption); never use unripe mulberries

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Mulberry (sang shen): traditionally associated with nourishing the liver and blood, moistening the body, and supporting hair and eyes; the deep-colored ripe fruit is considered more nourishing than the pale orange-yellow type
• Rock sugar (bing tang): moistens and rounds out the flavor, making the tea easy and pleasant to sip

Ingredients (3 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Mulberries (sang shen)	~75 g (2 liang)	Preserved or dried herb form both work; choose deep-colored ripe fruit
Rock sugar (bing tang)	To taste	Added at the end

Method

1. Place the mulberries in a pot with about 5 bowls of water.
2. Simmer for about 40 minutes until reduced to roughly 3 bowls.
3. Stir in rock sugar until dissolved, then serve.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is gentle and well-suited to older people; those who feel frazzled and worn out can sip it over a longer period with little downside. But if you have a cold, weak digestion with diarrhea, skip it. Because mulberries are rich in tannins that can block iron and calcium absorption, children should not have too much, and never use unripe fruit.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader): I bought dried mulberries and cooked them, but there’s a lot of “sand” in the water — is that a problem? Can I still drink it? Bro Niu: That’s not sand, it’s the tiny seeds of the mulberry fruit. Just rinse them first before cooking and it’ll be fine.
• Q (Priscilla): The pharmacy only had orange-yellow dried mulberries — can I use those, or do they have to be the dark red/black ones? Bro Niu: The pale orange-yellow mulberries are less effective than the dark ones, because it’s the ripe, dark mulberry that does the nourishing.
• Q (reader): Can I buy dried mulberries from the pharmacy? They look unripe — orange-yellow in color. Bro Niu: Only ripe mulberries should be used. Some regions produce a white-fruited variety that looks unripe but is naturally paler. For food therapy, though, go with the dark-colored kind.

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Published August 23, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.