Rosebud
Small unopened rosebuds, deep red going purple, with a soft scent. More often steeped as tea than boiled in soup, most commonly with goji. Water off the boil, or the scent goes.
TCM properties
Nature · warming Flavour · sweet、微苦 Meridians · liver、spleen
Traditional food therapy
In food therapy rosebuds soothe the liver, regulate qi and harmonise the blood; they are steeped when the mood is low.
Cautions: read first
- A blood-moving, qi-regulating herb; do not use it while still bleeding or on an anticoagulant without asking a registered practitioner first.
- Use water just off the boil, not a rolling boil.
Preparation
Five or six buds to a cup, steeped three minutes.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Pingyin in Shandong and Kushui in Gansu are the recognised sources. At Australian herbal shops and tea shops; less often at ordinary grocers
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists