Hawthorn Berry Tea

Name: Hawthorn Berry Tea
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 cups
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Dried hawthorn berries — 10 pieces; Water — 2 cups; Rock sugar — to taste (optional)

Wood Element · 木 Sour Warm

At Lunar New Year banquets, someone always brews hawthorn after the feast. The tartness cuts through richness like a reset button.

Prep 15 min

Servings 2 cups

Element Wood 木

Total 15 min

By FiveFlavor Kitchen Reviewed by Dr. M. Wu, L.Ac. Updated August 17, 2026

Why This Elixir Works

Hawthorn is sour and warm — the sour flavor gathers and contains, and hawthorn in particular is traditionally used to support digestion of heavy, fatty foods.

Wood element · Sour phase of the five-flavor cycle

Ingredients

Dried hawthorn berries 10 pieces
Water 2 cups
Rock sugar to taste (optional)

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The Refining Process

Step 1
Rinse hawthorn berries.
Step 2
Simmer berries in water 10-12 minutes until deep red.
Step 3
Strain and sweeten lightly if desired. Serve warm.

Alchemist's Note

Sour and warming. Educational purposes only.

Deep ruby and lip-puckeringly tart, hawthorn berry tea is the traditional after-dinner companion for rich meals. A few dried berries, hot water, and five minutes.