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Eight-Flavor Tea
Sweet, earthy, and deeply comforting, this traditional fruit-infused beverage builds on a simple base of green or black tea. You'll combine a rich assortment of dried fruits like wolfberries, Chinese red dates, lychees, and golden raisins right in your glass. As the hot water steeps, the fruits plump up and release their natural sweetness into the brew. Rock sugar adds a gentle, clear finish that balances the earthy tea leaves perfectly. It's a fragrant, soothing drink that turns an ordinary afternoon break into a relaxing ritual.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon green tea leaves, or black if you prefer
- 5 to 8 wolfberries (see headnote )
- 3 Chinese red dates (see headnote )
- 2 dried lychees
- 2 to 5 golden raisins
- 1 slice dried pineapple, dried mango, or dried peach
- 2 dried apricots or dried plums
- 1 lump rock sugar (see Glossary ), or to taste, or regular sugar to taste
Instructions
- 1Bring the water to a boil. Place the tea leaves, wolfberries, red dates, dried lychees, golden raisins, dried fruit slices, apricots, rock sugar, and a pinch of salt into a tall, heat-proof glass.
- 2Set a metal spoon inside the glass to absorb heat and prevent the glass from cracking. Pour the boiling water over the ingredients.
- 3Stir gently, then let the tea steep for 5 minutes so the dried fruits soften and release their flavors. Stir occasionally as you drink to help the rock sugar dissolve completely.
Notes
- Variations: You can use either green or black tea leaves depending on your preference.
- Sweetness: Adjust the amount of rock sugar to taste, or substitute with regular granulated sugar if you don't have rock sugar on hand.
- Fruit swaps: Feel free to mix and match the dried fruits. Dried pineapple, mango, or peach all work beautifully.