Three Reds Digestive Tea 三紅茶

A friend of mine recently told me about Three Reds Digestive Tea 三紅茶 (sān hóng chá).  After some research, it seems that this tea has been passed down from ancient times.  There isn’t a lot of information on it, so I haven’t been able to find out just how long ago it’s from. My Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner confirmed that all the ingredients are quite beneficial.

After all the goodies eaten during the first few days of Chinese New Year, I’m sure we could all use some help with digestion!  I know I’ve eaten one too many deep-fried snacks!  Consequently, I made the Three Reds Digestive Tea 三紅茶 for the last three days and I can really tell the difference.  My son had been feeling quite bloated and I made him drink 2 cups of this tea a day.  He hasn't complained about being bloated since, so I think it’s working?

I’m actually quite surprised at how good it tastes!  I could totally drink this like lemonade!  Before I go further, you all should know that I’m not a practitioner of any kind.  I don’t suggest that you use this tea as a substitute for medication.  But I will tell you what each ingredient is traditionally used for.  Hawthorn is an antioxidant with blood energizing properties to help the body rid of stagnant blood.  It also strengthens the heart, helps to expand the arteries for better blood circulation and helps with digestion.  Goji berries can aid the stomach and spleen, improve night vision and strengthen the immune system.  Red dates can improve sleep quality, relax tense muscles and help digestion.  Best of all, they all have anti-aging properties!

Try my Three Reds Digestive Tea 三紅茶 recipe and see if you feel less sluggish and get better quality sleep.  It would be perfect for after dinner since there’s no caffeine.  This would also be a thoughtful tea to serve your family and friends when you’re stuffing them with lots of food! 

Three Reds Digestive Tea 三紅茶

In this recipe, I suggested 30 grams of rock sugar. The sugar cuts the tartness of the hawthorn, but you can choose to add no sugar. Honey or brown sugar would be great alternatives too.

I added a bit of ginger just to warm the stomach a bit. However, it is not necessary to add the ginger.

Chrysanthemum flowers and some green tea can also be added to strengthen the immune system and to boost eye health.

You can also drink this tea cold, but for better digestive results, drinking it warm is recommended.

Approximate cost (CAD) $3

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 63 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 25 g Dried or fresh hawthorn
• 25 g Dried red dates pitted (small ones are preferred)
• 10 g Dried goji berries
• 30 g Rock sugar (from cane)
• 2 slices Ginger
• 1 L Water

Instructions

 

• Dry hawthorn usually comes sliced. But if you have whole hawthorn, just slice them into small pieces
  
• Wash the hawthorn, red dates and goji berries
  
• Prepare 2 small slices of ginger
• Add 1 L of water in a pot and add the hawthorn, red dates, goji berries and ginger
  
• Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, add 30 g of rock sugar and cook for 30 minutes
• Serve
  
• After finishing the first batch of tea, you can add another 500 ml of water to the ingredients and repeat step 5 with 15 g of sugar It won’t be as tasty as the first time, but you should still get some taste from it

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 18mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Dates, Digestive Tea, Goji Berries, Hawthorn, Red Dates, Tea

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!