Photo credit: @warrenyu (via Instagram)
⇨ Mulberry mistletoe tea (桑寄生茶)
Mulberry mistletoe tea is probably one of the best-tasting traditional Chinese herbal remedies out there—this sweet tea, which is made from a parasitic plant that grows on mulberry trees, is often accompanied with slow-cooked lotus seeds, red dates, and a hard-boiled egg. Given the seemingly discordant combination of ingredients, this isn’t exactly a beginner’s tong sui—but according to traditional Chinese medicine, mulberry mistletoe tea can boost iron, reduce blood pressure, and ease joint pain—which is why pregnant women are often encouraged to consume it as a healthy, nourishing dessert.
The lotus seeds, red dates, and egg are also believed to have balancing, soothing effects on the body, like relieving heartburn, alleviating excessive bleeding, and reducing stress, to name a few.
Try one of the most famous mulberry mistletoe teas in town at Yuen Kee Dessert, an old-school dessert shop in Sai Ying Pun that has been around for more than a century. The lotus seeds here are especially famous for being perfectly tender, rather than grainy—and the tea itself is also beloved for its subtle herbal sweetness.
If you’ve been shopping around the Ladies’ Market in Mong Kok, another excellent option is Ho Kee Dessert on Fa Yuen Street.
Yuen Kee Dessert, 32 Centre Street, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2548 8687
Ho Kee Dessert, G/F, 119 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok | (+852) 2394 1494