Kuding or kuzding (; pronounced ) is a particularly bitter-tasting Chinese

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 inf ...

, which due to their similarities in appearance is derived from several plant species.Tam CF, Peng Y, Liang ZT, He ZD, Zhao ZZ., 2006.,''Application of microscopic techniques in authentication of herbal tea-Ku-Ding-Cha''. Microscopy research and technique, Nov;69(11):927-32. The two most common plants used to make kuding are the wax tree species ''

Ligustrum robustum ''Ligustrum robustum'' grows as a shrub or small tree up to tall though old specimens of more than a hundred years have been observed with a height of . The fruit of the shrub is an ellipsoid berry, bluish-purple when fully ripe, × . ...

'' and the holly species '' Ilex kaushue'' (synonym: ''Ilex kudingcha''), the former being more commonly grown in

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

and Japan while the latter is most commonly grown and used in the rest of China.Subhuti Dharmananda, , Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon, Retrieved November 2, 2006 Tea produced from ''

Ligustrum A privet is a flowering plant in the genus ''Ligustrum''. The genus contains about 50 species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes forming small or medium-sized trees, native to Europe, north Africa, Asia, many introduced and nat ...

'' or many species of ''

Ilex ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The speci ...

'' is caffeine-free, although not ''

Ilex paraguariensis ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

'', the source of ''

mate Mate may refer to: Science * Mate, one of a pair of animals involved in: ** Mate choice, intersexual selection ** Mating * Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein, or MATE, an efflux transporter family of proteins Person or title * Friendship ...

'' drank in South America.

Folk medicine

The traditional Chinese medicinal properties associated with kuding (and many other plants) include its ability to disperse wind-heat, clear the head and the eyes, and resolve toxin, thus being used for

common cold The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear fewer than two days after exposu ...

rhinitis Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irritants o ...

, itching eyes, red eyes, and

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

. It is also said to calm fidgets and alleviate thirst, especially when one is suffering from a disease that causes fever or severe

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

. It transforms phlegm and alleviates coughing, thus used in treating

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

. Finally, it is said to invigorate digestion and improve mental focus and memory. Some research may suggest that the herb, derived from either ''Ilex'' or ''Ligustrum'', promotes blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and lowers blood lipids, including

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

. It has the reputation of preventing deterioration of the heart and brain function and maintaining proper body weight. It has also been found that Kuding made from ''L. robustum'' has similar anti-oxidative effects to

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

in addition to additional anti-inflammatory properties.LAU Kit Man; HE Zhendan; DONG Hui; FUNG Kwok Pui and BUT Pui Hay Paul, 2002 "Anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and hepato-protective effects of ''Ligustrum robustum''", Journal of Ethnopharmacology. vol.83 pp.63-71.

References

{{Herbal teas Chinese teas Herbal tea Traditional Chinese medicine Ilex drinks

Folk medicine

See also

References