Chrysanthemum tea

China

Several varieties of chrysanthemum, ranging from white to pale or bright yellow in color, are used for tea. These include:

• Huángshān-gòngjú (黄山贡菊, literally "Yellow Mountain tribute chrysanthemum"); also called simply gòngjú (贡菊)
• Hángbáijú (杭白菊), originating from Tongxiang, near Hangzhou; also called simply Hángjú, (杭菊)
• Chújú (滁菊), originating from the Chuzhou district of Anhui
• Bójú (亳菊), originating in the Bozhou district of Anhui

Of these, the first two are most popular. Some varieties feature a prominent yellow flower head while others do not.

Korea

Gukhwacha (국화차; 菊花茶) is made from dried Indian chrysanthemum collected before fully opened.

• Chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are blanched in bamboo salt water, carefully washed in cold water and drained on kitchen towel. The drained flowers are covered with hanji and dried in an ondol (floor-heated) room. When served, three to four flowers are added to hot water.
• Honey chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are carefully washed and dried, then preserved in honey for three to four weeks. When served, the preserved flowers are added to hot water.
• Medicinal chrysanthemum tea – The flowers are washed carefully, steamed using the water mixed with herbal decoction and dried. When fully dried, they are steamed again, and dried again. This process is repeated nine times. Water to decoction ratio can be 8:1, and the decoction is usually made of dried roots of white woodland peony, steamed and dried roots of rehmannia, dried roots of Korean angelica, and dried roots of lovage.

Commercial availability

Although typically prepared at home, chrysanthemum tea is also available as a beverage in many East Asian restaurants (particularly Chinese), and is also available from various drinks outlets in East Asia as well as Asian grocery stores outside Asia in canned or packed form, be it in whole in grain or teabag presentation.