Though all called chrysanthemum tea, today's market offers dazzling variety: white petals with yellow centers, yellow petals with yellow centers, white petals with white centers—each bearing distinct names like Hangzhou chrysanthemum, tribute chrysanthemum, Chuzhou chrysanthemum, wild chrysanthemum... Which is best?
For reducing internal heat, choose Chuzhou chrysanthemum.
>Chu Chrysanthemum, also known as White Chrysanthemum or Sweet Chrysanthemum, features the densest petals among chrysanthemum varieties. Its golden stamens contrast with crystal-clear, jade-white petals, earning it the reputation of "golden heart with five petals." Chu Chrysanthemum excels at dispersing wind-heat. When experiencing symptoms like a dry throat or dizziness from a heat-related cold, drinking some Chu Chrysanthemum tea can provide relief.
For Bright Eyes: Gongju Chrysanthemum
Gongju, also known as Huangshan Gongju, features snow-white blossoms with green calyxes. When steeped longer, even the tea liquor turns green. Gongju clears liver heat, brightens vision, and nourishes the liver and eyes. Adding goji berries to Gongju tea makes an excellent eye-protecting remedy for computer users.
Hangzhou Chrysanthemum for Soothing the Throat
Hangzhou chrysanthemum features larger blooms, categorized into white and yellow varieties. Compared to tribute chrysanthemum, its darker flower center is more pronounced, and petals tend to detach easily when steeped. It's ideal for relieving sore throats.
Wild Chrysanthemum for Anti-Inflammation
Compared to cultivated varieties, wild chrysanthemum has smaller, yellower flowers with less attractive shapes and a stronger bitter-cold nature. It excels at detoxifying, clearing heat, and reducing swelling, effectively alleviating skin sores, toothaches, and bad breath.However, wild chrysanthemum tea should generally be avoided to prevent damaging the spleen and stomach yang energy, which may cause stomach discomfort or loose stools.
Health Reminder:
Regardless of the chrysanthemum variety used, tea should not be consumed continuously for more than 3-5 days. Those with a cold constitution should add goji berries to their chrysanthemum tea, while individuals with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold should limit consumption.