Servings
Font
Back
Golden Osmanthus Tea (Gui Hua Cha)
5 from 120 votes

Golden Osmanthus Tea (Gui Hua Cha)

Golden Osmanthus Tea is a fragrant herbal infusion made with dried osmanthus flowers steeped in water just below boiling temperature (about 185°F/85°C). Variations include a plain tea, sweetened versions with osmanthus sugar or honey, and blends with oolong or green tea leaves. The tea offers floral aroma with subtle sweetness and can be enjoyed plain or lightly sweetened, often brewed briefly to avoid bitterness.

Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Servings: 1 person
Calories: 58 kcal
Course: Appetizer, Drinks, Snacks
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Pure Osmanthus Tea (Plain)
  • 1 teaspoon dried osmanthus flowers
  • 1 Cup water Chinese people don't believe in making tea with boiling water. If you're not fanatical about tea making, you don't have to use a thermometer- just leave the boiling water to cool slightly before using it to make tea!, at 185F/85C
Pure Osmanthus Tea (Sweetened)
  • 1 teaspoon dried osmanthus flowers
  • 1 Cup water As above, at 185F/85C
  • osmanthus sugar or honey or rock sugar, to taste
Osmanthus Oolong Tea
  • 1 teaspoon dried osmanthus flowers
  • 2 teaspoon oolong tea leaves dried
  • 1 Cup water As above, at 185F/85C
Osmanthus Green Tea
  • 1 teaspoon dried osmanthus flowers
  • 2.5 teaspoon dried green tea leaves
  • 1 Cup water As above, at 185F/85C

Instructions

Pure Osmanthus Tea (Plain)
    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring water to the boil and let it cool. If you like to be exact, use a thermometer to make sure the water is 85C/ 185F before making tea
  2. Place the dried flowers in a tea strainer and run through with hot water (i.e. you're washing the tea "leaves" to get rid of any dirt any dust on it)
  3. Add 1C of 85/ 185F water to the dried flowers and leave to steep, to taste. (I usually leave it about 2-3 minutes) The longer you steep the flowers, the stronger the flavour and the more golden the colour.
  4. If you're a visual person, add a few osmanthus blossoms to the cup!
Pure Osmanthus tea (Sweetened)
  1. Repeat the above steps, but add some sweetener to taste, such as rock sugar or honey. You can also use natural sweeteners such as dried longans, wolfberries and red dates. Note that they're all warming, according to TCM, so taking too much is not advisable as it would put the body out of balance. (Too much heaty foods can lead to sore throats and acne.)
Osmanthus Oolong Tea
  1. Repeat the steps for Osmanthus Tea (Pure) but add the oolong tea leaves to the osmanthus flowers in the strainer.
Osmanthus Green Tea
  1. Repeat the steps for Osmanthus Tea (Pure) but add the green tea leaves to the osmanthus flowers in the strainer.

Notes

  • Use water cooled to about 185°F (85°C) to avoid scorching the delicate osmanthus flowers.
  • Rinse dried flowers briefly with hot water before steeping to remove dust or impurities.
  • Steep the tea 2-3 minutes to balance flavor and avoid bitterness; add sweetener if needed to adjust taste.
  • Store dried osmanthus flowers in airtight containers with dehumidifiers to prevent moisture and spoilage.
  • Use dried flowers within one year for best flavor and aroma; discard if moist or moldy.

Nutrition Information

Calories 58kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 4g (8%) Sodium 48mg (2%) Potassium 8mg (0%) Calcium 28mg (3%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 person

Amount Per Serving

Calories 58

% Daily Value*

Calories 58kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 4g 8%
Sodium 48mg 2%
Potassium 8mg 0%
Calcium 28mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.