Most "poisonous" chrysanthemums are sulfur-fumigated or dyed - choose chrysanthemum tea with care

"Poisonous chrysanthemum" is not a formal botanical name, but a colloquial term for chrysanthemums that carry safety risks. It generally refers to chrysanthemums that have been fumigated with sulfur, artificially dyed, or that carry high pesticide residues, and it is seen mostly in the loose chrysanthemum tea market. The chrysanthemum itself is not poisonous; the problem lies mainly in the processing, storage and distribution stages after harvest.

Some vendors fumigate chrysanthemums with sulfur to make the flowers whiter and more attractive, while also preventing insects and mold and extending shelf life; others soak them in dye to make dull, old flowers look bright and vivid again. To tell them apart, you can combine looking, smelling and brewing: sulfur-fumigated chrysanthemums often look excessively pale and uniform, give off a pungent sour smell when held close, and produce a cloudy brew with a sour, astringent taste; dyed chrysanthemums release color abnormally readily in hot water, turning the water unusually green or fading quickly, with the petals clearly losing their color.

Drinking this kind of chrysanthemum over the long term may irritate the respiratory tract and the stomach and intestines. When buying, try to use legitimate channels and choose products with natural color, a dry and crisp texture, and a light floral fragrance. Good-quality chrysanthemums brew into a clear, pale yellow liquor with a natural aroma and a slightly bitter taste that turns sweet in the aftertaste. You can pour away the first infusion instead of drinking it, as a simple rinse.

One more reminder: chrysanthemums picked in the wild should not be brewed into tea casually, as some wild plants in the Asteraceae family that look similar may be toxic, so if you cannot tell them apart, do not put them in your mouth. If chrysanthemums you grow yourself have been sprayed with pesticides, wait until the safe pre-harvest interval has passed before picking them, and only use them for tea or cooking after washing and drying.