Eight treasure tea

What to get ready

• Green tea 32 g
• Goji berries 60 g
• Dried longan 80 g
• Dried jujube 100 g
• Dried lotus seeds 100 g
• Rock sugar 160 g
• Raisins 80 g
• Dried osmanthus flowers (sweet osmanthus) 20 g

Method

1. 1 Soak the lotus seeds for 2 hours, then boil them separately for 25 minutes until soft and remove the bitter core.
2. 2 Jujubes are scored by making a cut around the fruit to release their sweetness when brewed.
3. 3 Arrange lotus seeds, jujubes, longan, and raisins in a teapot, pour in 95-degree water, and steep for 8 minutes.
4. 4 Add the green tea leaves last and steep for only 2 minutes; steeping them from the beginning will result in bitter tea.
5. 5 The water poured over the tea leaves should be at least 80 degrees Celsius; boiling water will make the tea leaves strong and bitter.
6. 6 Add rock sugar and osmanthus flowers, then pour into a cup. You can add water three times if needed.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 18 min

  Instead of boiling for 25 minutes, replace step 1: cook the soaked lotus seeds in low pressure for 8 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes. This makes the seeds softer 12 minutes faster and less likely to crack. Steps 2–6 are still steeped outside the pressure cooker, especially the tea leaves, which only come into contact with 80-degree water to prevent the water from becoming bitter.