Herbal Drinks

The weather in Kuching have been very hot these few weeks ...

My mum complains that she is feeling very "heaty" and asks to drink a herbal drink make from 車前草 (Plantago asiatica, cheqiancao). 

We do have this herb in the garden and one should use the whole plant to make a drink. though I always remove the root - being a bit fastidious about the soil :-) To make the drink, just boil a small bundle of the herb in one litre of water for an hour or so. You can also add pandan leaves. Drink it neat. This herbal drink is to alleviate "heatiness"‘ or "熱氣" in the body and to increase urination.

Another herb we have is 雷公根 (Centella asiatica, leigonggen). 

The herb 雷公根 (Centella asiatica, leigonggen) has the same effect as 車前草 though it is also suppose to make the urine acidic to help remove kidney stones. Again, to make the drink, just boil a bundle of the fresh herbs in a liter of water and drink neat.

Please note that the above herbal drinks are part of our family herbal remedies and while I do enjoy drinking them, I certainly do not vouch for the efficacy of these herbal drinks! The usual applies - if in doubt, do not drink!