Herbal & Flower Teas
Sauropus Leaf, Shi Huang Pi and Dried Pear Tea
Traditionally used to moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm and ease cough
Why people make this tea
When the air turns dry and colds are going around, you hear coughing everywhere on public transport — Bro Niu always wears a mask now, just in case. In this kind of weather it helps to brew something that moistens the lungs and eases a cough. Fresh sauropus leaf is an excellent phlegm-and-cough food and is easy to find at the flower stalls. Bro Niu also spotted some shi huang pi, a hillside herb that traditionally clears heat and damp and moistens the lungs, so he picked up both. Today’s version is kept simple — just the leaves, shi huang pi and dried pear simmered into a clear, sweet, throat-soothing tea.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Good for a heat-type cough or a dry cough where the throat feels parched.
- Sauropus leaf alone works for both cold and hot coughs, but with shi huang pi added this leans toward lung-heat and lung-dryness coughs. It is not suited to a cold cough with thin, clear white phlegm that is worse at night.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh sauropus leaf (long li ye): a well-known food for resolving phlegm and easing cough, usable for both cold and hot coughs.
- Shi huang pi: a hillside herb traditionally used to clear heat and damp and moisten the lungs, helpful for lung-heat cough.
- Dried pear (xue li gan): adds natural sweetness and is traditionally moistening and throat-soothing.
Ingredients (3 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh sauropus leaf | 1 liang (~37 g) | Washed |
| Shi huang pi | 10–12 pieces | Lightly cracked |
| Dried pear | 5–6 slices | Cored |
Method
- Wash all the ingredients; lightly crack the shi huang pi; core the dried pear.
- Put everything into a pot with 5 bowls of water.
- Boil 20 minutes until reduced to 3 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Sauropus leaf can be used for either a cold or a hot cough, but once you add shi huang pi the tea is better matched to lung-heat and lung-dryness coughs. If your cough is the cold type with thin, clear white phlegm and worse at night, this one isn’t for you.
Published January 9, 2026 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
