Herbal & Flower Teas
Fresh Perilla, Scallion White and Brown Sugar Ginger Tea
Traditionally used to warm the body at the onset of a wind-cold with nausea
Why people make this tea
When the weather turns cool and the body catches a chill, blood vessels in the airways tighten, local defenses drop, and a virus can slip in — especially when you are run-down from overwork. For a plain wind-cold with a blocked nose, ginger, brown sugar, and scallion white in hot water is the old standby every household keeps on hand. This particular cup goes a step further for a “stomach-type cold,” the kind of wind-cold that arrives with nausea, queasiness, stomach ache, or a bloated, full feeling.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People at the early stage of a wind-cold that comes with a blocked nose plus nausea, queasiness, or stomach bloating
- Best sipped warm, then rest in bed to encourage a light sweat
- Not suitable if you have a sore throat or a “hot” (wind-heat) type cold
- During flu season, elderly people, pregnant women, the frail, and young children should avoid crowded, poorly ventilated places
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh perilla leaf (zi su ye): warming and aromatic; traditionally used to release a wind-cold and to settle a queasy, bloated stomach.
- Scallion white (cong bai): warming; traditionally used to help open a blocked nose at the onset of a cold.
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): warming; traditionally paired with cold-pattern symptoms and a settling for nausea.
- Brown sugar (hong tang): warming and sweet, it rounds out the tea.
Ingredients (2 cups)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh perilla leaves | ~37 g (1 tael) | Or ~11 g (3 qian) dried |
| Fresh ginger | 3–4 slices | |
| Scallion white | 3 stalks | May be rinsed and used with the roots on |
| Brown sugar | to taste |
Method
- Wash the perilla leaves and cut into coarse shreds.
- Wash the scallion whites and cut into sections.
- Put all ingredients in a pot with 3 bowls of water and boil for 10 minutes, reducing to 2 bowls.
Bro Niu’s tips
Drink it warm, then lie down to rest and let yourself break a light sweat — symptoms should ease. If you have no fresh perilla, use about 11 g (3 qian) of dried perilla instead.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (anonymous reader): Should the scallion white be cooked with the roots on? And is this suitable if the cold has gone into the stomach with diarrhea? Bro Niu: Yes, wash the scallion white and cook it with the roots on. It is also fine when the cold has reached the stomach; adding 4 to 5 cloves of garlic can help fight germs.
- Q (Ling): Last week I had a cold and lost my voice, still a bit raspy with some phlegmy cough, and the last two days a mild stomach ache. Is the perilla, scallion and ginger tea right for me if I feel chilled? Bro Niu: If you have a cold (chill) pattern, yes, you can drink it. But if you have a sore throat it is not suitable; instead try loquat leaf (5 qian), one cored snow pear, and a quarter monk fruit in 4 bowls of water reduced to 2, for 2 doses.
Published November 28, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
