Dried chrysanthemum infusion, often with rock sugar and goji. Tisane, not tea — caffeine-free, drunk to cool internal heat.
Cultivated as a medicinal infusion since the Han; Tao Yuanming's 4th-century poems mention picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence. Hangbaiju (Tongxiang) and Huangshan Gongju (She County, Anhui) are among the four classical medicinal chrysanthemums; the four-variety grouping is codified in the modern Chinese Pharmacopoeia. White chrysanthemum's medicinal use was already recorded by the Song-dynasty pharmacologist Kou Zongshi.
Tongxiang hangbaiju is GI-protected; one mu yields just 30-40kg dried. Huangshan Gongju (贡菊, tribute chrysanthemum) was court tribute under Guangxu. Don't drink daily long-term — TCM flags it as cooling and contraindicated for cold-stomach types.
Pale yellow-green liquor, sweet-floral scent like dried apple and chamomile. Body thin, slightly bitter at the back of the tongue, cooling finish. Add rock sugar and a pinch of goji for the standard Cantonese version, or pair with pu-erh in 菊普 (juhua pu-erh).
Steam-fix or sun-dry whole flower heads to lock volatile borneol-class terpenes. Brewed at 95°C — too hot extracts bitter sesquiterpenes. The hangbaiju cultivar holds shape on rehydration; cheaper varieties go mushy and bitter.
Variations
Hangbaiju (杭白菊, Tongxiang, sweet), Huangshan Gongju (黄山贡菊, larger heads), Chuju (滁菊, Anhui Chuzhou, most fragrant), Boju (亳菊, Anhui Bozhou, medicinal-grade), Kuju (苦菊, bitter, used for fire-clearing only).
On the Palate
Where Chrysanthemum Tea sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 1How it's made
3 steps · 2 min active + 7 min waiting
- 12 min
Place 5 g dried chrysanthemum + 5 goji berries + 10 g rock sugar in a teapot.
- 25 min
Pour 95 °C water; steep 5 min.
Watch outBrew at 95 degrees, not full boil — over-hot water drags out bitter sesquiterpenes and the flowers go mushy.
- 32 min
Serve hot in small cups; can re-steep 2 more times.
