Our city has no lack of trendy cocktail bars or secret watering holes that require a password for entry. But beyond the fancy drinks in sleek bars, our streets are also lined with stalls selling traditional brews that double up as natural remedies. A soup with some ginger root, for instance, aids digestion, while a touch of lemongrass in tea makes for a calm, restorative brew.
Here, we take you through 7 different types of local herbal drinks and where you can find them.
Here, we take you through 7 different types of local herbal drinks and where you can find them.
雞骨草 (Ji Gu Cha)
Made from dried prunella vulgaris (a herbaceous plant also known as woundwort), this dark herbal tea is known to relieve fatigue and also help with digestion and to cool body temperature.
Where to get it: 周家園涼茶 (Chau Ka Yuen Herbal Tea), Ground Floor, 52 Ap Lei Chau Main Street, Ap Lei Chau
銀菊露 (Japanese Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemum Tea)
Unlike your typical dark bitter brews, this golden-hued tisane is light and mildly sweet in flavour. This tea is commonly used to relieve sore throats, and is also said to help in regulating blood pressure.
Where to get it: 東莞佬涼茶 (Dong Guan Lao), Ground Floor, 41 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po
Made from dried prunella vulgaris (a herbaceous plant also known as woundwort), this dark herbal tea is known to relieve fatigue and also help with digestion and to cool body temperature.
Where to get it: 周家園涼茶 (Chau Ka Yuen Herbal Tea), Ground Floor, 52 Ap Lei Chau Main Street, Ap Lei Chau
銀菊露 (Japanese Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemum Tea)
Unlike your typical dark bitter brews, this golden-hued tisane is light and mildly sweet in flavour. This tea is commonly used to relieve sore throats, and is also said to help in regulating blood pressure.
Where to get it: 東莞佬涼茶 (Dong Guan Lao), Ground Floor, 41 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po
Prunella Vulgaris, the herbaceous plant used to make Xia Gu Chao.
去濕茶 (Qu Shi Cha)
Feeling sluggish or a lack of appetite? This 'dampness-expeling' tea is good for detoxing and promoting fatigued appetites. The main ingredients include white mulberry root-bark, tangy tangerine peel and some fresh ginger for a bit of heat. In Hong Kong, this tea is usually made by most locals in their own homes, instead of buying it from outside stalls.
火麻仁 (Hempseed Tea)
Think of hempseeds as the model student who consistently scores good grades in class. This superfood is packed with essential nutrients that carry over to the tea when the hempseeds are brewed. Known to help individuals suffering a bout of constipation.
Where to get it: 宏明堂 (Wang Ming Tong), Ground Floor, 331 To Kwa Wan Road, Wyler Garden, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon.
廿四味 (Twenty-Four Flavour Tea)
If it isn't already obvious from its name, this tea is made from over 20 types of herbs. Its bitter flavour makes the tea a bit hard to swallow, but the many herbs in here makes this a good brew to help relieve sore throats, common cold and even certain skin problems.
Where to get it: 春回堂藥行 (Good Spring Company Ltd), Level 8, Central Pavilion Road, Central
Feeling sluggish or a lack of appetite? This 'dampness-expeling' tea is good for detoxing and promoting fatigued appetites. The main ingredients include white mulberry root-bark, tangy tangerine peel and some fresh ginger for a bit of heat. In Hong Kong, this tea is usually made by most locals in their own homes, instead of buying it from outside stalls.
火麻仁 (Hempseed Tea)
Think of hempseeds as the model student who consistently scores good grades in class. This superfood is packed with essential nutrients that carry over to the tea when the hempseeds are brewed. Known to help individuals suffering a bout of constipation.
Where to get it: 宏明堂 (Wang Ming Tong), Ground Floor, 331 To Kwa Wan Road, Wyler Garden, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon.
廿四味 (Twenty-Four Flavour Tea)
If it isn't already obvious from its name, this tea is made from over 20 types of herbs. Its bitter flavour makes the tea a bit hard to swallow, but the many herbs in here makes this a good brew to help relieve sore throats, common cold and even certain skin problems.
Where to get it: 春回堂藥行 (Good Spring Company Ltd), Level 8, Central Pavilion Road, Central
Think of Gui Ling Gao (Turtle Jelly) as more of a sweet treat than a medicinal brew.
夏枯草 (Spike Tea)
A popular summer drink, this tea is usually drunk to prevent heat stroke in summer, as well as relieve cracked lips and tired eyes. The main ingredients in here are selfheal spike (an ingredient used to detox the liver), as well as liquorice and pagoda tree flower.
Where to get it: 良茶隅 (Herbaceous Teas), various outlets
龜苓膏 (Gui Ling Gao)
Also known as Turtle Jelly, this herbaceous dark jelly is often enjoyed by locals as a dessert with health benefits. Occasionally sweetened with a drizzle of honey, this herbal jelly is tasty and also helps with indigestion or certain eczema conditions.
Where to get it: Lan Yuen Chee Koon, 318 Sai Yeung Choi Street North, Kowloon
A popular summer drink, this tea is usually drunk to prevent heat stroke in summer, as well as relieve cracked lips and tired eyes. The main ingredients in here are selfheal spike (an ingredient used to detox the liver), as well as liquorice and pagoda tree flower.
Where to get it: 良茶隅 (Herbaceous Teas), various outlets
龜苓膏 (Gui Ling Gao)
Also known as Turtle Jelly, this herbaceous dark jelly is often enjoyed by locals as a dessert with health benefits. Occasionally sweetened with a drizzle of honey, this herbal jelly is tasty and also helps with indigestion or certain eczema conditions.
Where to get it: Lan Yuen Chee Koon, 318 Sai Yeung Choi Street North, Kowloon
