Luo Han Guo Herbal Tea

Last time I traveled to Guilin China, I not only brought back wonderful memories from there, I also got the Chinese natural plant product - Luo Han Guo fruits (罗汉果), they're grown in the mountains of Guilin and generally sold in dried form.  Luo Han Guo has been called the longevity fruit, the natural sweetness is 300 times sweeter than sugar.  They are used for sore throats, coughing, respiratory ailments, and it's also used to soothe vocal cords inflammation.  It is a natural, pure and healthy Chinese herb.  

This time I went to Guilin, I have learned something more about Luo Han Guo from our local tour guide.  Just because there were so many Luo Han Guo fruits were selling everywhere, and we asked him the way to choose the good one.  He emphasized that a good Luo Han Guo is not just only test from the smell and the look, because they could be come from chemical flavoring after they extract the sweetness of Luo Han Guo for the other used.  It's a challenge to recognize it from the outward appearance, it has to do with inside (^.^ It's the same when apply on how to know a person) .  A good Luo Han Guo has to be round and big, it doesn't produce any sound when you give it a gentle shake.  The most important is the seeds' color is fresh light golden brown, but not in black brownish color.  To be honest, this is my first time to see such of beautiful color inside this fruit.  My mom-in-law has told me, it is close to what she can found in organic Luo Han Guo. 

Before this trip, I have used the fruit to cook with winter melon, dried longan and water.  I have learned from Guilin local people, the way they prepare this herbal tea is easier, they rinse the fruit in the running water and simply crack the thin shell, then it can be use.  

Up close with dried Luo Han Guo fruits

Ingredients:

Any temperature of drinking water

A Luo Han Guo 

Method:

1 Liter of bottle water, a quarter of Luo Han Guo;

1 cup of water, two small pieces of Luo Han Guo

Just let it soaks in the water for 15 minutes or the water turn to golden brown color, then you can enjoy it.  Just like the way to prepare other Chinese tea, it can refill water for many times, but this herbal tea is caffeine free.  Suggestion for those who like the taste of ginger, also can add a small piece to make this herbal tea taste even better. 

 Can be serve warm, hot or chilled. 

  

The green-brownish dried fruits form which has fine hair on the surface of its shell

can be serve warm, hot or chilled

There are many seeds inside a Luo Han Guo