In the west, when we think of "herbal tea," what usually comes to mind is simple peppermint or chamomile tea, the ol' western stand-by's. Consumers usually drink herbal tea because they are looking for something caffeine-free, or they crave a snazzy new flavor temptation, like those created by Celestial Seasonings and other herbal tea manufacturers who have introduced us to fun flavor combinations like Wild Black Cherry or Lemon Zinger.
In Asia, herbal teas take on quite another meaning. Flavor and lack of caffeine are probably the LAST things that come to mind. In Asian communities, herbal teas are often serious medicine, prescribed by medical practitioners, or used as part of an intensive home-remedy program for the prevention and treatment of everything from colds and headaches to indigestion and arthritis.
Why do westerners know so little about Chinese herbal teas?
Westerns have all heard of oolong and jasmine tea. Why are herbal blends made from things like honeysuckle flowers, sacred lotus leaves, or rice-with-husk relatively unknown in the west?
(1) From a consumer products point of view, there has never been a "Twining's" or "Lipton" that has introduced us to Chinese herbal blends. Twining's sticks with its traditional black and green Chinese teas. On the other end of the spectrum are companies like Celestial Seasonings, which, while trafficking in herbal blends, do not stray away from familiar western flavors, especially the punch-flavored fruity blends.
(2) From a scientific point of view, until recently there was no definitive work on the botanical sources of Chinese medicinal teas. Not until today.
New, ground-breaking review of Chinese herbal tea
Today, for the first time, we are closer to answers to questions like:
"What are the actual plants used in the complex Chinese herbal teas preparations?"
"Are there any potentially harmful ingredients?"
"Are there potential medicinal uses of common tropical plants that can be adapted to use in the development of modern pharmaceuticals?"
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, a research journal publishing scientific articles on alternative medicine for the past 25 years, recently published an article by one of the world's authorities of Chinese herbs, Dr. S. Y. Hu.
Meet Dr. Hu : Dr. Du is an 89-year-old Harvard University botanist of
Chinese descent, with a career that spans over six decades of work in
China, Hong Kong, and the United States. She currently lectures and
writes on her on-going research on flora, including Chinese herbs. In
her article in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, she
synthesizes her own, and other, academic research, ranging from work
published in China in the early 1900's, to recent research published
in Glamour. Her article provides a definitive overview of:
- The origins of herbal tea in China
- The major types of Chinese herbal tea & their health-benefits
- Teas available in Chinatowns in major cities around the world
- Composition of popular teas
- A discussion of major issues for scientists and consumers alike
- Proper labeling of imported teas
- Toxicity of herbal tea blends
The origins of herbal tea in China
Herbal tea arose out of the climatic conditions of southern China which included hot, humid summers. When people in this region suffered from illness, they sought cost-effective treatments, often turning to local herb-blends. They boiled local plants to address a range of illnesses, including viral infections, liver problems, bone and muscle soreness, and eye infections.