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+ servings
2 mugs of vietnamese herbal tea garnished with mint leaves and fresh strawberries

BEST Homemade Herbal Tea (Nước Sâm)

The tea (Nuoc Sam) is made of Western and Eastern herbal ingredients. It is naturally sweetened, caffeine-free refreshing, and wonderful iced tea for summer.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Steeping time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Tu

Ingredients 

  • 4 qt cold water
  • 1 bulb artichoke quartered
  • 7 pandan leaves cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 2 dried lo han guo cut in half
  • ¼ c Rhizoma Imperatae
  • 8 oz sugar cane cut into small pieces
  • 1 handful corn silk from 2-3 corns
  • 1 handful cilantro stems
  • 1 c chrysanthemum dried

Garnishes

  • dried longan
  • mint leaves
  • fresh berries

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, bring four qt of water to boil. Put artichoke, pandan leaves, lo han guo, rhizoma emperatate, sugar cane, corn silk, and cilantro in a pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Bloom dried chrysanthemum in 2 cups hot water and set aside for later use.
  • After 20 minutes, add chrysanthemum and simmer for another 15 minutes, then turn off the heat.
  • Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Then carefully strain the tea through a big fine sieve, and discard all the ingredients.
  • Serve this herbal tea with ice. Add dried longan, mint leaves, and berries as garnish if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Suggestions

  • Chrysanthemum: Remember to squeeze as much water out of the chrysanthemum before adding them to the cooking pot.
  • Rock sugar: Taste the tea; if you desire more sweetness, you can add rock sugars to the already-strained tea. Make sure the tea is still hot/warm at this point so that rock sugars can dissolve completely.
  • Dried logan: Soak dried longan in cool water for a few minutes to soften them before using.

Storage

The tea can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week OR consumed within one day if left at room temperature.