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Luo han guo tea
Monk fruit tea
Luo han guo cha 罗汉果茶: naturally sweet monk fruit tea from Guangxi
The hills around Guilin in Guangxi grow luo han guo, a small round gourd that is dried until its shell turns brown and brittle. Cantonese and Guangxi households simmer one in water when someone has a scratchy throat or a dry cough, or simply in the heat of summer, and the result is a dark amber tea that tastes of caramel and dried fig with no sugar added at all. Drink it hot in winter or chilled in summer. The mistake most people make is using a whole fruit for a single cup, which is cloyingly sweet; one fruit is enough for a large pot. Chef's tip: crack the shell and tear the pulp into pieces, so the flavour comes out in 15 minutes instead of an hour.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 2 slices fresh ginger (optional)
- 1 tbsp dried goji berries (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 dried luo han guo (monk fruit). Press it between your palms or tap it with a rolling pin until the shell cracks, then break the shell and the dry pulp inside into pieces.
Step 2: Put the pieces in a pan with 6 ¼ cups water and 2 slices fresh ginger if using. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat with the lid on until the water is a deep amber colour.
15 minStep 3: Add 1 tbsp dried goji berries in the last 3 minutes, if using.
3 minStep 4: Strain through a sieve into a teapot or jug. Drink hot, or cool and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and serve over ice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does luo han guo tea take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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