The Benefits and Effects of China's Four Famous Chrysanthemums and How to Brew Chrysanthemum Tea
Chrysanthemum is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine, which the ancients called “the guest of longevity”. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that chrysanthemum is sweet and bitter in taste and slightly cold in nature, with the effects of dispelling wind, clearing heat, brightening the eyes, and detoxifying. So what are the four famous chrysanthemums of China? What are their respective benefits and effects?
China's Four Famous Chrysanthemums
Gongju, Hangju, Chuju, and Boju are together known as China's four famous chrysanthemums. Huangshan Gongju is also called “Gongju” or “Huizhou Gongju”, and is also known as Huiju. Hangju originated in Tongxiang, China, and is a variety of the Asteraceae family: the varieties include white chrysanthemum and yellow chrysanthemum. Chuju is mainly produced in Chuzhou and is the type of chrysanthemum with the tightest petals. Boju is a medicinal plant of the Asteraceae family. China's medicinal chrysanthemums currently have 8 production regions; the Hangbaiju and Gongju of the regions south of the Yangtze River are mainly for drinking, while the Chuju, Boju, Jiju, Qiju, and Huaiju of the regions north of the Yangtze River are all mainly for medicinal use.
Use Chuju to reduce internal heat
Chuju is also called “white chrysanthemum” or “sweet chrysanthemum”, and is the type of chrysanthemum with the tightest petals. Its flower center is golden yellow and its petals are crystal white, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of “golden heart and five petals”. Chuju has the strongest effect in dispelling wind and releasing heat; when symptoms of “heat-caused cold” such as a dry throat and dizziness appear, drinking some Chuju can relieve them.
Chuju is mainly produced in Chuzhou and is the type of chrysanthemum with the tightest petals. Chuju is inclined toward the liver yang, and is often used to treat symptoms such as dizziness and blurred vision caused by hyperactivity of liver yang. For high blood pressure that is identified in traditional Chinese medicine as belonging to hyperactivity of liver yang, Chuju and cassia seeds can be used as a tea substitute. Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica records that chrysanthemum can be made into a pillow to brighten the eyes; those with headache, dizziness, red and swollen eyes, and other symptoms belonging to hyperactivity of liver yang can use a medicinal pillow made from Chuju.
Chuju can clear heat and detoxify, relax the muscles and invigorate the blood, protect the liver and brighten the eyes, and enhance the body's immune function. It has a significant effect on high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. In recent years, research has found that Chuju has a good preventive effect on the SARS virus and cancer (especially liver cancer), and has a clear therapeutic effect on diabetes.
Modern pharmacological testing and analysis show that Chuju contains effective components such as flavonoids, volatile oils, amino acids, and trace elements. Among its volatile oils, eucalyptol, borneol, and eucalyptol dienone are significantly higher than in other chrysanthemums, and its total flavonoid content is 32—61% higher than other chrysanthemums; it contains 8 kinds of amino acids and 10 kinds of trace elements essential to the human body. The “selenium” in Chuju is 8—40 times higher than in other chrysanthemums. Because zinc and selenium are absorbed by the human body, they can promote cell division and delay the aging of the body, thereby achieving the effects of prolonging life and beautifying the skin. Because of the quality and fame of Chuju, among famous doctors in our country there is a rule that Chuju can replace other chrysanthemums, but other chrysanthemums cannot replace Chuju.
Use Gongju to brighten the eyes
Gongju is also called “Huangshan Gongju”; its flowers are snow-white and its base is green. If it is brewed for a long time, even the tea liquid will turn green. Gongju has the effects of clearing the liver and brightening the eyes, and nourishing the liver and eyes. Brewing Gongju tea with some goji berries added is a good eye-protecting remedy for computer users.
Huangshan Gongju is also called “Gongju, July chrysanthemum” or “Huizhou Gongju”, and is also known as Huiju. Together with Hangju, Chuju, and Boju, it is known as one of China's four famous chrysanthemums. Because it was presented to the emperor as tribute in ancient times, it is named “Gongju” (tribute chrysanthemum). Huangshan Gongju began in the Song Dynasty and flourished in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, pinkeye was prevalent in the Forbidden City in the capital. The emperor issued an edict to seek a good remedy and visited famous doctors everywhere, but none was effective. At this time, the prefect of Huizhou presented dried Huizhou tribute chrysanthemum flowers; after brewing, they were taken internally and used to wash the eyes, and the eye disease was immediately cured. For a time, Huizhou tribute chrysanthemum became famous throughout Beijing and was imperially designated as tribute.
It has a sedative effect on the central nervous system, and regular drinking can calm the mind and soothe the nerves. It enhances capillary resistance, dilates the coronary arteries, promotes blood circulation, and lowers blood pressure. It clears heat and detoxifies, clears the liver and brightens the eyes, dispels pathogenic factors and reduces internal heat. Chrysanthemum is rich in vitamin A, an important substance for maintaining eye health. Chrysanthemum tea can make a person clear-headed and bright-eyed, and it has a relatively good effect especially on dry eyes caused by excessive liver fire and overuse of the eyes. For computer users who often feel dry eyes, liver-clearing and eye-brightening tea is the first choice.
It has an antibacterial effect. Chrysanthemum water decoction and water infusion have inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Proteus, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Vibrio cholerae, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, human-type Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and influenza virus (PR3 strain). After being drunk, the used Huangshan Gongju can also be dried in the sun and used as pillow filling, making people feel cool and reducing internal heat, clearing the liver, brightening the eyes, and refreshing the mind.
Use Hangju to soothe the throat
Hangju flowers are relatively large and are divided into two types: Hangbaiju and Hanghuangju. Compared with Gongju, Hangju's dark-colored flower center is more obvious, and after brewing, the petals fall off easily. When the throat is swollen and painful, drinking some Hangju is best. It originated in Tongxiang, China, and is a variety of the Asteraceae family: the varieties include white chrysanthemum and yellow chrysanthemum. The plant height is about 1-1.5 m, the stem is erect, the leaves are alternate and pinnately lobed, and it blooms in autumn. The flowers are terminal and capitulate, with white and yellow colors, and the small flower heads are about 2-2 cm in diameter. They are disc-shaped or oblate, 2.5-4 cm in diameter. They are often several connected together; the ligulate flowers are whitish or yellow, flat or slightly folded, sticking to each other, and usually without glandular dots. There are relatively many disc flowers, exposed.
Hangju is the main raw material for “chrysanthemum tea” and has been a medicinal plant since ancient times, with high economic value. The fully opened flowers are harvested and, after baking, can be used as spices and medicine. Brewing chrysanthemum tea can serve as a health-preserving beverage; in addition, it is also an ornamental flowering plant.
It dispels wind and releases heat, calms the liver and brightens the eyes, and clears heat and detoxifies.
1. Used for wind-heat common cold with fever and headache. This product is light in body and reaches the body surface, its qi is clear and floats upward, and it is slightly cold and clears heat. It is good at dispelling wind and releasing heat, so it is often used to treat wind-heat common cold, or the early stage of warm disease with warm pathogens invading the lungs, fever, headache, cough, and other symptoms. It is often used together with mulberry leaf, forsythia, mint, platycodon, and the like, such as Sangju Drink.
2. Used for red eyes and blurred vision. This product is good at dispelling wind and clearing heat, clearing the liver and purging fire, and can also nourish yin and brighten the eyes, so it can be used to treat red, swollen, and painful eyes caused by wind-heat in the liver channel or by upward attack of liver fire. It is mostly used together with mulberry leaf, cassia seed, gentian, prunella, and the like to jointly produce the effects of dispelling wind, clearing the liver, and brightening the eyes. If liver and kidney deficiency causes dim vision and blurred eyes, it is also often used together with goji berries, prepared rehmannia, cornus, and the like, such as Qiju Dihuang Pill, to jointly achieve the effects of tonifying the liver and kidneys and nourishing yin and brightening the eyes.
3. Used for dizziness and convulsions. This product is cold in nature and enters the liver channel, and can clear heat and calm the liver, so it is used together with abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, achyranthes, and the like to treat headache and dizziness due to hyperactivity of liver yang; used together with antelope horn, uncaria, white peony, and the like, it can treat convulsive twitching due to excess liver wind patterns, such as Lingjiao Gouteng Decoction.
4. Used for boils and toxic swellings. This product is sweet and cold, nourishes yin, clears heat and detoxifies, and is especially good at resolving boil toxins, so it can be used to treat boils and toxic swellings. It is often used together with honeysuckle and raw licorice, such as Ganju Decoction.
Use Haoju to dispel wind and dissipate heat
Haoju is produced in Bozhou, Anhui, and is dried in the shade for medicinal use. The flowers are relatively loose, and the petals fall apart easily, which is one of the important characteristics of Boju. Boju is especially good at dispelling wind and dissipating heat, and relieving summer heat and brightening the eyes. For wind-heat common cold, one may take Boju and rock sugar as a tea substitute. In summer, Boju can also be cooked with rice into porridge to prevent heatstroke. Boju is a medicinal plant of the Asteraceae family.
Boju is especially good at dispelling wind and dissipating heat, and relieving summer heat and brightening the eyes. If you accidentally catch a wind-heat common cold, you may take Boju and rock sugar as a tea substitute. In summer, Boju can also be cooked with rice into porridge to prevent heatstroke. Brewing Boju as tea is especially suitable for office workers to drink more, because Boju is very effective at preventing dry eyes. Brewing method: 50 grams of Boju flowers, add 20 ml of water, simmer briefly, then keep warm for 30 minutes, filter, add an appropriate amount of honey, stir well, and drink. It has the effects of nourishing the liver and brightening the eyes, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, clearing the heart and strengthening the brain, and moistening the intestines.
How to brew chrysanthemum tea?
When brewing chrysanthemum tea, it is best to use a transparent glass cup. Each time, put in one or two flowers, then brew with boiling water for two or three minutes. When the water is 80% hot, you can see the tea gradually becoming slightly yellow. Each time you drink, do not finish it all at once; leave one-third of a cup of tea, then add fresh tea, let it brew for a moment, and then drink again.
Taste
When drinking chrysanthemum tea, we can put goji berries or a few pieces of rock sugar in the teacup, so that it tastes more delicious and sweet. It does not need to be added to other tea leaves; simply brewing or boiling the dried chrysanthemum in water is enough. Hot in winter and iced in summer, it is a very good beverage.
Brewing
People who have drunk chrysanthemum tea should know that chrysanthemum tea can generally be brewed 5-7 times, but everyone has different requirements for the taste of tea and its strength, so the number of minutes each person brews it will also differ. If it is brewed too many times, the tea will become very light and tasteless; at the same time, the longer it is brewed, the fewer effective components remain in the tea.
There are many ways to brew chrysanthemum tea, and some office workers like to brew a cup of chrysanthemum tea to drink while at work. Many people think that the brewing method for chrysanthemum tea is very simple: just put dried chrysanthemum into a cup and pour in boiling water.
First: choosing the ingredients
If you want to brew a good cup of chrysanthemum tea, first we need to select top-quality chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums mold and grow insects easily, but there are many kinds of chrysanthemum tea on the market, and we do not know how to choose. Many people think that the bigger the better, but this is not so; those small, ugly, and yellowish chrysanthemums are actually the best choice.
Second: washing the tea
Although chrysanthemum is different from tea leaves, a lot of dust is also mixed in during the drying process, so the step of washing the tea should also be included when brewing. Brew with hot water at 80 degrees for 3-5 seconds, then quickly strain off the water. If the time is too long, the nutrients of the chrysanthemum will also be strained away, so pay attention to this point.
Finally: brewing the tea
After washing the tea, pour boiling water at 100 degrees, or hot boiled water cooled to 90 degrees, over the chrysanthemum, and let it sit for 5 minutes before drinking. Note that hot water is poured over the chrysanthemum, rather than putting the chrysanthemum into hot water, because pouring hot water in will also stir the chrysanthemum, and there is no need to stir it. If the chrysanthemum is put into hot water, the chrysanthemum will float on the surface and is not easy to sink into the water!