Mulberry and Roasted Black Soybean Tea

Why people make this tea

Bro Niu often says the whole mulberry tree is a treasure — leaf, twig, root-bark are all used — but the dark ripe fruit is the heart of it. In tradition the mulberry nourishes the liver and kidney and replenishes the blood, which is why it is so often turned to for dim eyes, ringing ears and a hearing that fades, especially worse at night, alongside a weak, achy lower back and knees. Paired with fragrant roasted black soybeans it makes a quiet, everyday tea.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Good for liver-and-kidney-deficient types: tinnitus worse at night, declining hearing, sore weak back and knees, blurring vision.
• Traditionally also taken by women after childbirth for blood deficiency or low milk.
• Gentle; if you run heaty, add a few nan zao (see tips) so it does not feel warming.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Black mulberry (sang shen zi): traditionally nourishes the liver and kidney and the blood; the riper and darker, the better its blood-building reputation.
• Roasted black soybean (qing ren hei dou): the green-kernel kind is prized for its nutrients; roasting until the skins split makes it suitable for steeping.

Ingredients (1 pot)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Black mulberries	2 tbsp	rinsed
Roasted black soybeans	2 tbsp	green-kernel, pre-roasted

Method

1. Put both into a pot and rinse once with hot water.
2. Pour in fresh boiling water and steep, covered, about 15 minutes.
3. Drink; you can re-steep until the flavour fades.

Bro Niu’s tips

To prepare the beans, rinse and drain green-kernel black soybeans, then dry-roast over low heat about 12 minutes until the skins split — only then are they right for steeping. Buy a catty (~600 g), roast and store, and you always have some on hand. This tea needs to be taken for a while before you notice anything. If you tend to run heaty, steep it with 3 nan zao.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Wood): I have heaty constitution; can I drink black mulberry and black soybean tea? Bro Niu: Yes — add 3 nan zao to the roasted black soybeans and mulberries and it will not feel heaty.
• Q (May): Is this tea fine to drink every day, or should I pause after a few days? Bro Niu: Three to four servings a week, for a month.
• Q (Bu Yin): Is this tea suitable for an 80-year-old? She recently feels her knees are weak. Bro Niu: Yes, it is fine for the elderly — three servings a week.

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Published October 27, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.