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Honeysuckle Beverage

(银花饮  Yínhuā Yǐn)

 

 

— A Medicinal Food Drink for Colds

(感冒小药膳银花饮 / Honeysuckle Medicinal Beverage for Colds)

 

Ingredients

• Honeysuckle flower (金银花 / 银花, Lonicera japonica) – 20 g
• Hawthorn fruit (山楂, Crataegus pinnatifida) – 10 g
• Honey (蜂蜜) – 250 g

 

 

Preparation

1. Place the honeysuckle and hawthorn into a clay pot.
2. Add an appropriate amount of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. After 5 minutes, strain the decoction once.
4. Add fresh water and decoct again to extract more medicinal liquid.
5. Combine the two decoctions.
6. Add the honey and stir evenly until fully dissolved.

 

How to Consume

Drink three times a day, or as needed.

 

Effects

With its pungent and cooling properties, this drink helps:

• Induce sweating and release exterior pathogens
• Clear heat and detoxify

It is particularly suitable for early-stage colds.

 

Commentary

Honeysuckle (银花, Yínhuā) has a mildly pungent and cooling nature, helping disperse exterior wind-heat and clear internal heat toxins.
It can also be brewed as a simple herbal tea.

 

Honeysuckle (金银花)

“Honeysuckle” generally refers to Lonicera japonica (金银花), one of the most representative herbs for clearing heat and detoxifying and dispersing wind-heat.

It can also refer to an ethnic group in Mongolian context, and in the idiom “火树银花”, the word “银花” poetically describes brilliant and dazzling lights.

 

Medicinal Value & Functions

Honeysuckle is sweet and cold in nature (甘寒) and is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

1. Clears heat and detoxifies (清热解毒)

Highly effective for heat-toxicity conditions such as:

• Skin abscesses and boils
• Throat and tonsil infections

 

2. Disperses wind-heat (疏散风热)

Used for:

• Wind-heat colds
• Early-stage warm diseases with fever

 

3. Anti-inflammatory & antiviral

Research shows inhibitory effects against:

• Influenza virus
• Herpes simplex virus

 

4. Additional benefits

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces cholesterol
• Improves microcirculation
• Beautifies the skin and delays aging

 

Usage & Precautions

✔ Most common use: tea

• Use 5–10 blossoms brewed in warm water
• Excessive amounts make the brew bitter and overly cooling

 

✔ Pairs well with:

• Chrysanthemum
• Mint
• Sugarcane

For enhanced cooling and detoxifying effects.

 

✔ Precautions

• Cold in nature → prolonged or excessive use may weaken digestion
• Spleen–stomach deficiency cold (脾胃虚寒) should exercise caution
• Commercial honeysuckle drinks contain high sugar → diabetics should choose sugar-free types

 

Common Products

• Honeysuckle tea
• Honeysuckle oral liquid
• Ingredient in many classical formulas, including Yin Qiao San (银翘散)

 

Hawthorn (山楂 Crataegus pinnatifida)

Hawthorn is a deciduous tree or shrub of the Rosaceae family.
It is also known as Shanlihong (山里红) or Hongguo (红果).
Widely used as both food and medicine in China, it is a classic medicinal-food homologous (药食同源) plant.

 

Botanical Characteristics

• Tree: rough dark gray bark
• Leaves: broad ovate with 5–9 deep lobes and serrated edges
• Flowers: white, in umbrella-shaped clusters
• Fruit: round or pear-shaped, 1–2.5 cm in diameter, bright red when ripe

 

Main Benefits & Uses

Hawthorn fruit is sweet-sour with a slightly warm nature.

1. Aids digestion & strengthens the stomach

Rich in organic acids and lipase enzymes, promoting digestion—especially effective for meat digestion.
Many digestive aids include hawthorn extracts.

 

2. Promotes blood circulation & removes blood stasis

Helps with:

• Menstrual irregularities due to blood stasis
• Postpartum abdominal pain

 

3. Cardiovascular benefits

Modern studies show hawthorn can:

• Dilate blood vessels
• Reduce blood pressure and blood lipids
• Improve microcirculation

 

4. Additional benefits

Rich in vitamin C and flavonoids →

• Antioxidant
• Boosts immunity
• Reduces phlegm
• Relieves cough

 

Ways to Consume

• Dried hawthorn slices: brewed as tea or added to porridge/soups
• Candied hawthorn snacks: tanghulu, hawthorn cakes, hawthorn pastilles
• Cooking: added to pork or beef stews to reduce greasiness and improve digestion

 

Precautions

• High organic acid content may irritate the stomach
• People with hyperacidity, weak digestion, children, and elderly should avoid excessive intake
• Pregnant women should avoid → hawthorn promotes blood circulation, may trigger uterine contractions

 

Honey (蜂蜜)

Honey is a natural sweetener produced by bees from floral nectar or plant secretions, known for its diverse health benefits.

 

Types of Honey & Characteristics

Type	Color	Features & Uses
Acacia honey	Pale yellow	Light aroma, transparent; ideal for daily cooking and tea. Most common in Korea.
Chestnut honey	Dark brown	Strong flavor and aroma; known for enhancing immunity.
Wildflower honey	Yellow-brown	Derived from various flowers; taste varies by region and season.
Manuka honey	Varies	Produced in New Zealand; famous for strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

 

Major Health Benefits

✔ Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory

Rich in phenolic acids and flavonoids, helping reduce cellular oxidative stress and inflammation.

 

✔ Boosts immunity

Long-term consumption helps strengthen the immune system.

 

✔ Aids digestion & relieves fatigue

Helps digestion after meals and serves as a natural energy booster.

 

✔ Supports cardiovascular health

May help lower cholesterol levels, reducing risks of heart attack and stroke.

 

How to Use

✔ Honey water

Useful for hangover relief; mix with lukewarm water (below 40°C) to preserve nutrients.

 

✔ Cooking

Mild honeys like acacia can substitute sugar in many recipes.

 

✔ Natural cold remedy

Radish-honey syrup (무꿀즙) is a popular natural remedy for colds.

 

✔ Storage tip

Use a dry utensil when scooping honey to avoid moisture contamination.