Ju Hua tea (菊花茶, Jú Huā Chá) is made from the flowers of chrysanthemum. Ju Hua is the Chinese name of chrysanthemum.
Ju Hua is traditional Chinese medicine. In China, Ju Hua tea originated in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and was widely used in daily life in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912).
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History of Ju Hua
Ju Hua is one of the top 10 famous flowers in China and it can be seen almost everywhere in China.
According to historical records, people had used Ju Hua as food and medicine in ancient times. The earliest record about Ju Hua was in the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC), so Ju Hua has been cultivated in China for at least 3,000 years.
Around the 8th century, Ju Hua as an ornamental flower was introduced to Japan from China. In the late 17th century, the Dutch merchants introduced Ju Hua to Europe. And in the 18th century, it was spread to France, and to North America in the mid-19th century.
Types of Ju Hua Tea
In the Tang Dynasty, the cultivation of Ju Hua was very common. Many new varieties of Ju Hua were cultivated. In that context, Ju Hua tea was also created.
Today, there are thousands of Ju Hua in China. According to the efficacy, popularity, and producing area of Ju Hua, there are four most famous Ju Hua in China. Ju Hua tea made from these four kinds of Ju Hua is very high-quality and beneficial.
Huangshan Ju Hua Tea
Huangshan Ju Hua also called Gong Ju is produced in the Huangshan City of Anhui Province. “Gong” means “tribute”, because it was regarded as a tribute tea in ancient times.
Huangshan Ju Hua is praised as the “Champion of Ju Hua ” and “National Treasure” in the famous medical book <Chinese Pharmacopoeia>.
During the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), many people in the Forbidden City of Beijing suffered from red-eye disease. The emperor sent some people to visit famous doctors and get medicines, then the Anhui officials offered dried Huangshan Ju Hua.
Surprisingly, after they drink the Ju Hua tea made from the dried Huangshan Ju Hua, their eye disease gradually disappeared. Later, Huangshan Ju Hua became more famous and was honored as “Gong Ju”.
Hangzhou White Ju Hua Tea
Hangzhou Ju Hua produced in Zhejiang Province can be classified into yellow Ju Hua and white Ju Hua. Yellow Ju Hua is generally used as medicine and the white Ju Hua is used as tea. Hangzhou Ju Hua is one of the eight famous Chinese herbal medicines in Zhejiang Province.
Hangzhou white Ju Hua is also known as chamomile or Hang Bai Ju and is one of the best varieties for making Ju Hua tea.
Chu Ju Hua Tea
Chu Ju Hua produced in the Chu Zhou City of Anhui Province is one of the four famous traditional Chinese medicines in Anhui Province. It has been approved as a special mark for geographical indication products in 2002.
As early as the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the local people used Chu Ju Hua to make pastries and Ju Hua wine to clear heat and eliminate toxins in the body.
In the Qing Dynasty, Chu Ju Hua was sent to the imperial court as a tribute, so it is also called “Chu Zhou Gong Ju”.
Recent studies have found that Chu Ju Hua has a good preventive effect on SRAS virus and cancer (especially liver cancer), and has a significant therapeutic effect on diabetes.
Bo Ju Hua Tea
Bo Ju Hua is produced in the Bo Zhou City of Anhui Province, and it was registered as an agricultural product of geographical indication by the Ministry of Agriculture of China in 2014.
In Bo Zhou City, the local farmers have the custom of planting Ju Hua because of its high medicinal value and high ornamental value.
Bo Ju Hua can not only be made into tea but also can be added into porridge.
Benefits of Ju Hua Tea
Ju Hua tea contains volatile oil, chrysanthemin, adenine, amino acids, choline, stachydrine, berberine, flavonoids, vitamins, trace elements, and other substances. Flavonoids in Ju Hua have effects of scavenging free radicals and anti-aging.
There are 17 kinds of amino acids in Ju Hua petals, among which glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and proline are higher. Ju Hua is rich in trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, and selenium.
Benefits of Ju Hua tea:
- Detox
- Clear heat
- Anti-aging
- Antibacterial
- Antidepressant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Lower blood lipids
- Lower blood pressure
- Treat coronary heart disease
- Treat wind-cold and wind-heat
- Improve cardiovascular system
Side Effects of Ju Hua Tea
Should not drink the overnight Ju Hua tea. The overnight Ju Hua tea contains chlorogenic acid, which will oxidize and turn green in the air, and the content of vitamin C in the tea is greatly reduced, so it is not recommended to drink.
Ju Hua tea may cause allergic conjunctivitis. People who have a history of allergic conjunctivitis need to pay special attention to it.
People with chronic colitis and spleen and stomach deficiency should not drink Ju Hua tea.
The medicinal property of Ju Hua tea is cold. People with a cold constitution are not recommended to drink Ju Hua tea.