Chrysanthemum tea is a flower-based
infusion
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An in ...
beverage made from the
chrysanthemum flowers of the species ''
Chrysanthemum morifolium
Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center o ...
'' or ''
Chrysanthemum indicum'', which are most popular throughout
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
.
First cultivated in
China as a
herb as early as the 1500 BCE, Chrysanthemum became popularized as a tea during the
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
. In Chinese tradition, once a pot of chrysanthemum tea has been drunk, hot water is typically added again to the flowers in the pot (producing a tea that is slightly less strong); this process is often repeated several times.
To prepare the tea, chrysanthemum flowers (usually dried) are steeped in hot water (usually 90 to 95 degrees Celsius after cooling from a boil) in either a
teapot
A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water, and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea. It is one of the core components of teaware. Dry tea is available either in tea ba ...
, cup, or glass; often
rock sugar
Rock candy or sugar candy, also called rock sugar, or crystal sugar, is a type of confection composed of relatively large sugar crystals. This candy is formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a su ...
or
cane sugar
Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula .
For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refine ...
is also added. The resulting drink is transparent and ranges from pale to bright yellow in color, with a floral aroma.
Varieties
China
Several varieties of chrysanthemum, ranging from white to pale or bright yellow in color, are used for tea. These include:
*''Huángshān-gòngjú'' (, literally "Yellow Mountain tribute chrysanthemum"); also called simply ''gòngjú'' ()
*''Hángbáijú'' (), originating from
Tongxiang
Tongxiang City () is a county-level city, part of Jiaxing, in northern Zhejiang Province, China, bordering Jiangsu province to the north. It had a population of 1,029,754 as of the 2020 census even though its built-up (''or metro'') area is sm ...
, near
Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...
; also called simply ''Hángjú'', ()
*''Chújú'' (), originating from the
Chuzhou district of
Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
*''Bójú'' (), originating in the
Bozhou
Bozhou () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and Henan to the north. Its population was 4,996,844 at th ...
district of
Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
Of these, the first two are most popular. Some varieties feature a prominent yellow
flower head
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
while others do not.
Korea
''Gukhwacha'' () is made from dried
Indian chrysanthemum collected before fully opened.
* Chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are blanched in
bamboo salt water, carefully washed in cold water and drained on kitchen towel. The drained flowers are covered with
hanji and dried in an
ondol
Ondol (; , Hangul: 온돌, 溫堗, ) or gudeul (Hangul: 구들, ) in Korean traditional architecture, is underfloor heating that uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to heat the underside of a thick masonry floor. In modern usage it refers ...
(floor-heated) room. When served, three to four flowers are added to hot water.
* Honey chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are carefully washed and dried, then preserved in honey for three to four weeks. When served, the preserved flowers are added to hot water.
* Medicinal chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are washed carefully, steamed using the water mixed with
herbal decoction and dried. When fully dried, they are steamed again, and dried again. This process is repeated nine times. Water to decoction ratio can be 8:1, and the decoction is usually made of dried roots of
white woodland peony, steamed and dried roots of
rehmannia
''Rehmannia'' is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the order Lamiales and family Orobanchaceae, endemic to China. It has been placed as the only member of the monotypic tribe Rehmannieae, but molecular phylogenetic studies suggest t ...
, dried roots of
Korean angelica, and dried roots of
lovage
Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a veg ...
.
Commercial availability
Although typically prepared at home, chrysanthemum tea is sold in many Asian restaurants (particularly Chinese), and in various
Asian grocery stores in and outside Asia in canned or packed form, as either a whole flower or
teabag
A tea bag, or the compound teabag, is a small, porous, sealed bag or packet, typically containing tea leaves or the leaves of other herbs, which is immersed in water to steep and make an infusion. Originally used only for tea (''Camellia ...
presentation. Juice boxes of chrysanthemum tea may be sold.
Gallery
Image:Gukhwa-cha.jpg, ''Gukhwa-cha'' (chrysanthemum tea)
Image:A Large Pack of Chrysanthemum tea (MY and SG).jpg, A juicebox of chrysanthemum tea by Singaporean brand Yeo's.
See also
*
Chinese herb tea
*
List of Chinese teas
This is a list of Chinese teas. Chinese tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants (''Camellia sinensis'') and – depending on the type of tea – typically 60–100 °C hot water. Tea leaves are processed using traditional Chi ...
*
List of Chinese inventions
China has been the source of many innovations, scientific discoveries and inventions. This includes the '' Four Great Inventions'': papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing (both woodblock and movable type). The list below contains th ...
*
Traditional Korean tea
* ''
Xia Sang Ju''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrysanthemum Tea
Asian cuisine
Asian drinks
Chinese teas
+Tea
Korean tea
Japanese tea
Malaysian cuisine
Malaysian tea
Singaporean cuisine
Flower tea
Tongxiang
East Asian cuisine
Southeast Asian cuisine