I don't think I'm the only one that has been enjoying a glass (or two) many wines over the isolation period. So I decided the best way to make up for it was to enjoy some liver tea!
I first came across this tea when visiting the TuLou in Fujian province (South China) and this is where the teas name comes from.
The TuLou are rural dwellings of the Hakka people in Fujian, between Nanjing and Yongding counties. Built between the 12th and 20th centuries, this large buildings are usually giant, enclosed and fortified buildings which would house multiple families (the largest of them could house up to 800 people!) Usually round or rectangular shape, these buildings are made from compacted earth, mixed with stone, bamboo and wood to create thick walls which protected the inhabitants from attack. They would consist of several storey's with individual houses, schools and other communal areas.
Fun fact: these buildings have a very strange appearance from above and have actually been described as UFOs and during the Cold War, American analysts suspected that they were missile silos or part of a nuclear complex!
But back to the tea!
The TuLou Liver tea is actually a tisane, as it doesn't (usually) contain tea leaves. Instead it is a mixture of flowers and other local ingredients that are said to improve your health and detox your liver after too much alcohol!
This tea is believed to have a number of benefits beyond protecting your liver, including nourishing and regulating qi and blood, detoxification, lowering lipid and glucose levels.
One of its ingredients, Luo Han Guo Flowers, are also good for preventing and treating hypertension, and moistening the lungs - to reduce sore throats, coughs and bad breath - as well as helping you loose weight!
It seems like a long list I know!
How accurate this list of health benefits is I don't know, but its made-up of a number of flowers and herbs with healing properties - including chrysanthemum, jasmine flower, rose flower, mountain grass, honey suckle, acacia vine, cassia seed and clematis (as well as the luo han guo!)
So how does the tea taste?
The tea is fragrant and slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so, meaning there is no sweetness at the back of your throat after drinking. I often get a mint falvor which seems to cut through the sweetness and adds an extra layer to the tea.
It is a nice, soft flavor, reminiscent of 'detox' teas, probably reflecting the similar ingredients across the different tisanes.
I'm a huge fan of this one. It's easy to drink and the flavor lasts along time so it's a great one to sit and infuse over and over again!
Tea Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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