Step by Step – The Perfect Lunar New Year Elixir

January 16, 2017

More than red packets, and mandarin oranges, the lunar new year is a time friends and family come together to ring in a new chapter. At the dawn of the first morning, a special brew of sweet tea is served. With wishes of good health and a bountiful year ahead, exchanged amongst young and elder.

Known as Eight Treasures Tea, every ingredient serves to benefit one’s health. Considered an elixir in ancient China, it aids in improving blood circulation, raise energy levels, boost the immune system, aid liver function, and lower blood pressure.

As we approach this auspicious time of the year once again, make it perfect with a pitcher of this elixir for your colleagues, friends and loved ones to enjoy. Sweet on the palate, and a boost to your health. We used Gryphon’s Lucky Bamboo as our tea of choice for this recipe. A delicate blend of green tea and bamboo leaves, with nectarous strawberries and zesty oranges. Giving our treasures elixir an extra fruity kick. You may also choose to go with our robust Imperial Pu’erh black tea, or the refined Frozen Peak Oolong blue tea if a stronger taste profile is what you prefer. For a non caffeinated version, we recommend using the beautifully floral Peony Jade white tea.

8 Treasures Tea

Serves 4

6g  Lucky Bamboo Tea

2Tbs  Rose buds

2Tbs  Wolfberries/ Goji Berries

2Tbs  Dried Hawthorn

1  Ginseng Root (palm size)

6  Dried Longans

5  Red Dates

½cup  Dried Chrysanthemum flowers

2pieces  Rock Sugar (taste as you add to adjust sweetness)

1L  Fresh Water

Step One:

Bring the water to almost boiling, stop the fire and place your teabags to steep for 3 minutes.

Step Two:

Remove the teabags after steeping. Return the pot to the stove at low heat.

Step Three:

Pour in the dried ingredients (washed except for the rose buds and rock sugar),

cover and let simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Step Four:

Strain into a flask, serve, and enjoy!

For a limited time only, give a gift of wonder and prosperity with our Lucky Bliss and Golden Bliss tea sets! Choose between 50g Lucky Bamboo or 50g Gold Muscato tea packed in our signature gold Gryphon tins. Each set also comes with three Golden Nuggets. Every nugget makes enough tea for four and puts on an impressive show as it blooms and dances underwater. 

Also known as blooming tea for the way they emulate a flower blooming in nature, these teas are made by binding tea leaves with edible flowers like chrysanthemum, hibiscus, and osmanthus. Gryphon’s Golden Nuggets are coated with luxuriant gold dust to add sparkle as the tea blossoms. Watch  full video of the graceful Golden Nugget bloom here.