Although most people are familiar with traditional Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis), quite a lot of herbal teas are grown and consumed in China as well.
Check out our list below!
Table of Contents
Chrysanthemum
Common Name: Chrysanthemum
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium, Chrysanthemum Indicum
Alternative Names: Autumn Chrysanthemum, Ju Hua Cha
Chrysanthemum flowers are incredibly popular in China.
Not only are these beautiful yellow flowers often brewed as an herbal tea, but the plant’s leaves are also occasionally used in some regional Chinese cuisines.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers chrysanthemum flowers to be cooling in nature.
The flavor is floral, herbaceous and mildly grassy.
Ginger
Common Name: Ginger
Scientific Name: Zingiber officinale
Alternative Names: Jīn zhè ěr
Nearly everybody is familiar with the spicy, yet earthy flavor of ginger root, as it’s a somewhat common kitchen ingredient. However, not everyone is aware that it also makes an excellent herbal tea.
We recommend mixing ginger root with lemongrass and honey for a truly refreshing beverage which is particularly enjoyable during the seasons of Autumn and Winter.
Ginkgo
Common Name: Ginkgo
Scientific Name: Ginkgo Biloba
Alternative Names: Maidenhair Tree
Ginkgo is thought to be one of the oldest surviving tree species in the world.
The flavor of ginkgo is woody, dry, and slightly bitter with a mild astringency.
Ginseng
Common Name: Ginseng
Scientific Name: Panax Ginseng
Alternative Names: Ren Shen Cha
Ginseng root has been used as a potent herbal tonic since ancient times.
Nowadays, due to high-demand and scarcity of the raw material, ginseng is known to demand astronomical prices. This is particularly true for wild-grown ginseng, which is typically thought to be much higher quality than the plantation-grown variety.
The flavor of ginseng root is somewhat similar to carrot, but with strong aromatics of licorice and Chinese medicine.
Jujube
Common Name: Jujube
Scientific Name: Ziziphus Jujuba
Alternative Names: Chinese Date, Chinese Jujube, Daechu Cha, Red Date
Due to extensive cultivation, it’s hard to say exactly where jujube originated from, but many experts believe that it was originally grown in Korea and then propagated throughout Northern India and China.
Although jujube is primarily grown as a commercial food crop, the wood is also sometimes used to craft local folk instruments.
The flavor of jujube tea is slightly sweet and spicy, almost reminiscent of ginger root.
Kuding
Common Name: Kuding
Scientific Name: Ligustrum Robustum & Ilex Kaushue
Alternative Names: Bitter Nail Tea
Kuding tea is typically a hand-rolled combination of a specific wax tree and holly plant (Ligustrum Robustum & Ilex Kaushue), although sometimes other related species are used as well.
The flavor of kuding tea is known to be very bitter.
Lavender
Common Name: Lavender
Scientific Name: Lavandula Angustifolia
Alternative Names: English Lavender
While lavender may not be considered a distinctly Chinese herb, it is indeed grown in China and used for herbal teas.
The flavor of lavender is potent and floral.
We recommend mixing lavender with mint leaf to round out it’s strong flavor.
Mint
Common Name: Chinese Mint
Scientific Name: Mentha Haplocalyx
Alternative Names: Corn Mint, Bo He Cha, Field Mint
Chinese mint is a little different than the types of mint which grow in most other regions of the world.
The flavor of Chinese mint is a bit more mild than it’s Western counterparts, but it really does make for a great tea.
Osmanthus
Common Name: Osmanthus
Scientific Name: Osmanthus Fragrans
Alternative Names: Devilwood
Osmanthus is grown both as an ornamental plant as well as a commercial crop.
The flavor of osmanthus has a delicate honey-like sweetness, distinct floral notes, undertones of peaches or apricot fruit and a slight bitterness.
