Your Guide to Chrysanthemum Tea

What is Chrysanthemum Tea good for?

Chrysanthemums have had influence in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. These colourful plants are a lot more than their dainty little looks.

In their natural form the dried Chrysanthemum flowers are not particularly tasty. So drinking the tea is now a more popular and refreshing way to consume its goodness. Less dirt too!

Oh, there’s even more too!

Chrysanthemum apparently has the ability to help with a few ailments too!

In ancient Chinese medicine culture, inflammation was thought to be caused by having too much heat in your body. Chrysanthemum tea is known for its cooling effect, so it was used as a medicine to help reduce body temperature.

Thanks to the same cooling properties, Chrysanthemums tea is also thought to be beneficial for fever or a headache.

Chinese medicine and tea have as strong a relationship with each other as you’ll come to find. And Chrysanthemum Tea is no exception.

Is it safe to drink Chrysanthemum Tea?

Chrysanthemum teas are generally safe to drink if properly prepared and many cultures have been enjoying the tea for years. However, there are a few side effects and guidelines worth mentioning.

Firstly, if you are allergic to ragweed, then there is a high probability you will be allergic to chrysanthemum tea. So steer clear of it if you need to.

Secondly, if you are a mum-to-be, official guidelines recommend avoiding the use of chrysanthemum as there is insufficient evidence to identify its effects on unborn babies.

Next, watch out for contact dermatitis. Some people experience side-effects or a mild allergic reaction to a chemical called alantolactone. So research, check up and if need be: steer clear!

While chrysanthemum tea is completely natural, the plant it comes from naturally produces alantoclactone. And a reaction to this can cause skin redness or irritation. Although the whole thing sounds a bit intimidating, any issues last for a short while and tend to not require any treatment.

And to maintain the quality of the tea, your safety and most importantly your enjoyment…

Make sure you select loose-leaf tea that has already been dried for you! Don’t go picking local chrysanthemum flowers from your neighbours’ gardens or any old field.  Making your own tea with these plants might be a bad idea with the risk of pesticides or other unknown chemical nasties messing up your brew. Better safe than sorry.

Plus it’s never a good idea to upset your neighbours!

Does Chrysanthemum Tea make you sleepy?

As it’s a relative of the chamomile plant, you may expect that a cup of chrysanthemum tea will have you wanting to put your head down on your pillow. However, this herbal tea is better known for its rejuvenating powers, perhaps after a busy day. It calms the nerves and relaxes you but not so much that you want to close your eyes and take a nap.

How do you make Chrysanthemum Tea?

For the perfect Chrysanthemum tea, it’s always best to use loose-leaf, dried chrysanthemum flowers. And if you have a glass teapot, put it to use with this tea so you can watch the flowers opening up in the hot water. Seriously, it’s a sight to see.

Once you have selected your tea and teapot, the brewing process is very straightforward.

1) Boil your kettle and use some of the fresh hot water to warm your teapot. You do this by simply swirling the boiling water around the pot and then pouring it out.

2) Next, add the tea to the pot and pour in the required amount of hot water. You should allow approximately 1 teaspoon of the dried flowers per cup of water.

3) How long you want to brew your tea in the water for comes down to personal taste but, as with most herbal teas, the ideal brewing time is around 5 minutes.

4) Chrysanthemum tea already has quite a sweet, comforting taste, but you can add a touch of honey or a sprinkle of sugar if you have a really sweet tooth.

5)  Sit back and enjoy the chrysanthemum tea!