What is Baby Chrysanthemum (Tai Ju) Herbal Tea ?
Chrysanthemum tea is a kind of herbal tea made from chrysanthemum flowers. To make it, you simply pick fresh flowers and then dry them in the shade, sun-dry, steam, and bake them. It's been around since the Tang Dynasty and became widely popular during the Qing Dynasty.
The chrysanthemum family is quite big, with over 200 genera and 25,000 to 30,000 species in total. China alone has more than 200 genera and over 2,000 species, not to mention all the different cultivated chrysanthemums out there. Some common chrysanthemum varieties in China include Hangju, Boju, Huaiju, Hangbaiju, wild chrysanthemum, and Gongju. Gongju, Hangju, Chuju, and Boju are known as the four famous chrysanthemums in China.
Tai ju herbal tea, also known as "baby chrysanthemum flower tea," "dried chrysanthemum buds tea" or "Small White Daisy," used to be a tribute in ancient times. It belongs to the daisy family and is originally from China. The flower of Tai Ju is conical or spherical, mainly yellow in color, but some are white or pink. This plant is commonly used as a medicinal herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat symptoms like colds, coughs, and headaches.
Tai Ju tea is made from the flowers of the Hangbaiju variety before they fully bloom. The buds are picked and then dried to create this delightful flower tea. When you steep this tea, it has a pure and strong flavor, with a golden hue and a sweet aroma of nectar. The best part is, it won't lose its charm even if you let it steep for a long time.
Taiju
Hangju (Chrysanthemum from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province) mainly comes from places like Tongxiang, Zhejiang, and the quality from these regions is top-notch.
Hangju is divided into Hangzhou white chrysanthemum and Hangzhou yellow chrysanthemum according to color. Hangzhou white chrysanthemum (Hangbaiju for short ) is a traditional Chinese herbal tea material. Its flowers are big, with wide petals, white or yellowish-white in color, and a yellow center. They have a clear and fragrant aroma with a slightly sweet and bitter taste, making them a perfect choice for making tea at home. On the other hand, Hangbaiju has thick and fleshy petals, offering a clean and sweet flavor, which makes it great for brewing tea. Hangbaiju is even better to pick during the bud period (as bud chrysanthemum) to make tea, and this method is very popular in the chrysanthemum tea market. So, Tai Ju tea (the bud chrysanthemum) we're talking about today is actually the excellent variety of Hangbaiju.
Just a friendly reminder: Although Tai Ju has some medicinal value, always follow your doctor's advice and avoid self-medication. Besides its medicinal uses, Tai Ju is also a lovely ornamental flower that you can plant in your garden or flower beds to enjoy its beauty.
The History of Tai Ju Tea
You've probably heard of Longjing tea, even if you're not a big tea enthusiast. It's a famous geographical indication product from Zhejiang province, China, with a long history. It's renowned for its emerald color, beautiful appearance, rich fragrance, and mellow taste, thanks to its unique characteristics of being "light yet far" and "fragrant and clear." Longjing tea proudly holds the top spot among China's ten famous teas.
Tai Ju, known alongside Longjing tea, was also once a tribute. It made it into the list due to its excellent effects on clearing heat and dispelling wind. People recognized its many uses, so it was classified as a medicinal herb. As a result, Tai Ju became one of the "Zhe Eight Flavors," along with Baizhu, Baishao, Zhe Beimu, Hangbaiju, Yuanhu, Xuanshen, and Jian Maidong. In this list, Tai Ju refers to the unopened flower buds of Hangbaiju. The "Zhe Eight Flavors" have various medicinal uses. Zhang Zhongjing, a famous medical practitioner from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), listed 58 flavors in "Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases." In fact, the "Zhe Eight Flavors" have long been renowned both domestically and internationally, and many traditional Chinese medicine brands have been using them in their formulas.
As for Tai Ju, its history goes back to the Southern Song dynasty. At that time, people only considered Hangbaiju Tai Ju as an ornamental flower. Over time, they discovered its medicinal value and began processing Hangbaiju Tai Ju into the delightful tea we enjoy today through baking and other techniques.
There are many records of Tai Ju in various medical books. For instance, "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica" says that Tai Ju has functions like relieving dizziness, reducing swelling and pain, brightening the eyes, protecting the skin, and promoting health. "Compendium of Materia Medica" describes Tai Ju as having a slightly cold and slightly sweet nature, with the effects of dispelling wind-heat, calming the liver, and brightening the eyes. In modern research, it has been found that Tai Ju can lower blood lipids, reduce blood pressure, and inhibit bacteria.
Tai Ju is found in various regions in China, including Northeast, North, and East China, and it is also distributed in Japan. You can spot it growing on the sides of mountainous roads, on hillsides, and at the edges of forests. This plant thrives in warm environments with plenty of sunlight and isn't too picky about the soil, but it does prefer fertile soil. Avoid planting it in clayey and low-lying waterlogged areas as it won't do well there.
How to Make Tai Ju Flower Tea
Although chamomile flowers usually bloom in the fall, the best Tai Ju is ready by the end of October. The picking period is quite short, only about ten days, making it even more precious. When picking, be careful not to pull or comb the flowers, but instead, pick them one by one, and make sure not to bring any broken leaves along. The lower the moisture content of the Tai Ju, the better its appearance, and naturally, the higher its value.
The Farmers Are Picking Taiju Chrysanthemums
The Process of Making Tai Ju Herbal Tea:
Drying the Flowers
First, clean the harvested flowers, removing any extra stems or debris. Place them in a cool place to dry, avoiding direct sunlight or sudden temperature changes that could affect the quality of the flowers. Let them dry until they become withered.
Preparing the Steaming Basket
Create a steaming basket in advance, which can be made of woven bamboo. The top diameter should be about 40 centimeters. Put the withered flowers into the steaming basket, arranging them evenly with the flower heads facing up or down. Generally, the thickness should be about 3 centimeters, as being too thick may affect the steaming process.
Steaming the Flowers
For small-scale steaming, put the steaming basket with the flowers into a heated iron pot with boiling water. Cover the pot with a large lid. The fire should be strong and even. Add some hot water every time you steam. The water at the bottom of the pot should not be too much, or it might rise to the steaming basket when boiling, affecting the quality of the flowers. Steam for about 4-5 minutes; over-steaming will cause the flowers to become too soft and soggy, making it hard to dry. On the other hand, under-steaming may lead to uncooked flowers. Both extremes affect the quality. When just out of the steaming basket, the petals won't be pressed flat; they will be grayish-white, but after a quick blow from the wind, they will turn reddish-brown.
Drying the Flowers
Place the steamed flowers on a bamboo mat or in a basket, spreading them out for 3-4 days to dry in the sun. Be careful not to turn the flowers as they dry, and don't press them when bringing them indoors at night. After 3 days, turn them once and dry for another 3-4 days, totaling about a week of sun exposure. Then, store them for several days before taking them out again to dry for another 1-2 days, making the flower heads completely hard. After this process, the flowers can be stored.
Summary:
In this article, we explored the world of Baby Chrysanthemum (Tai Ju) herbal tea, highlighting some of the well-known and commonly used Chinese chrysanthemum varieties for making tea. We also briefly delved into the historical background of Chinese chrysanthemum tea. The article concluded with a simple overview of the tea-making process.
In the next article, we will delve into the numerous benefits of consuming Baby Chrysanthemum (Tai Ju) herbal tea in daily life and discuss some essential precautions to keep in mind while enjoying this delightful brew.
Stay tuned for our upcoming piece on the health benefits and guidelines for incorporating Baby Chrysanthemum (Tai Ju) herbal tea into your routine!
REFERENCE
Hangju (Hangzhou Chrysanthemums)
Hangju
Hang Chrysanthemum is commonly known as Hangju. It is named after its original habitat in Hangzhou and other areas in Zhejiang. Hang Chrysanthemum comes in three varieties: Hang Baiju (Hangzhou white chrysanthemum), Tang Huangju (Hangzhou yellow chrysanthemum), and Hong Huangju (Hangzhou red chrysanthemum).
Chuju (Chuzhou Chrysanthemum)
Chuju, a famous species within the Chrysanthemum family, is mainly produced in Chuzhou. It has the most compact petals among all chrysanthemum species.
Chuju (Chu Chrysanthemum)
Boju (Bozhou Chrysanthemum)
Boju is a specialty of Bozhou City, Anhui Province, and a nationally recognized geographical indication product of agricultural origin.
Boju (Bo Chrysanthemum)
Gongju(Huangshan Tribute Chrysanthemum)
Huangshan Tribute Chrysanthemum, also known as Tribute Chrysanthemum or Huizhou Tribute Chrysanthemum, is a traditional product of Huangshan City. Along with Hangju, Chuju, and Boju, it is known as one of the four famous chrysanthemums of China. Its name "Tribute Chrysanthemum" originated from ancient times when it was offered as a tribute to the emperors. It is abundant in the vast area of Huangshan City, Anhui Province, particularly in the Jinzhu Village of She County, where it thrives in a unique natural environment. With excellent quality and a combination of color, fragrance, taste, and shape, it holds both ornamental and medicinal value, making it highly praised as an exceptional medicinal and beverage ingredient, renowned both domestically and internationally.
Huangshan Tribute Chrysanthemum
Huaiju chrysanthemum
Huaiju is a special product of Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, China's national geographic indication products.Huaiju chrysanthemum has high medicinal value and belongs to the category of medicinal chrysanthemums.
Huaiju
The Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica
The Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica holds a significant place as one of the four classics of traditional Chinese medicine and stands as the earliest work in this field. It systematically consolidates scattered pharmaceutical knowledge predating the Eastern Han Dynasty, encompassing invaluable content that has been cherished by medical practitioners throughout history. Additionally, this compilation method for pharmaceutical works has endured over time, leaving a profound influence as China's first monograph on pharmacology.
Compiled during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica is not the product of a single
individual but rather the collective effort of numerous medical scholars during the Qin (221–206 BCE) and Han
periods (206 BCE–220 CE). As the earliest existing monograph on pharmacology in China, it represents the first
comprehensive summary of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
The Compendium of Materia Medica
"The Compendium of Materia Medica" is a monumental work on Chinese materia medica.It was written by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty and completed in the sixth year of the Wanli reign (1578).
Illustrations in the Compendium of Materia Medica
It built upon the achievements of previous materia medica studies and integrated a vast amount of pharmacological knowledge accumulated through the author's extensive learning and interviews with laboring people such as herbalists, folk doctors, hunters, and fishermen. Li Shizhen referenced over eight hundred different sources and dedicated decades of diligent practice and research to complete this comprehensive masterpiece of Chinese pharmacology.
Leave your comment