Chrysanthemum tea

Chrysanthemum tea is a herbal infusion — a tisane — made by steeping the whole dried flowerheads of cultivated chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) in hot water. Like other tisanes it is not made from the tea plant Camellia sinensis at all, so it is naturally caffeine-free; "tea" here just means a hot infusion. It is one of the most beloved everyday drinks in China and across the Chinese diaspora, where it is prized above all as a "cooling" beverage — in the framework of traditional Chinese medicine it is thought to clear internal "heat," soothe the eyes and calm the body, and it is drunk to counter hot weather, rich or fried food, and tiredness. The cup ranges from pale straw to warm gold, is light-bodied and softly sweet, and carries a gentle honeyed, floral, faintly grassy aroma. It is served plain, sweetened with rock sugar or honey, or steeped together with goji berries, and is a fixture of dim sum houses, herbal-tea shops and home kitchens.