At the table
Sip warm or cooled after the herb pieces have been strained out. It needs no spoon or chewing; check the temperature of a hot serving.
The selected herb-and-water recipe, with optional sugar, is vegan and vegetarian. Check bottled blends and toppings separately; the word 'tea' here does not mean Camellia leaves.
Sugar is optional in the plain preparation. Bottled drinks and instant mixes can use different sweeteners or extraction ingredients; jelly and milk additions make a different serving.
Know what you’re trying.
- Specification
- Rinse dried mesona stems and leaves, simmer in water and strain thoroughly. Serve plain or sweeten with sugar; no starch is used in this version. Sugar is optional in the plain preparation. Bottled drinks and instant mixes can use different sweeteners or extraction ingredients; jelly and milk additions make a different serving.
Ingredients
Dried Chinese mesona stems and leaves, water; optional sugar.
Origin & regional roots
Taiwan
Associated with Taiwan.
About this regional connection
Taiwan: Taiwan dried-mesona processing and drink tradition; plant also used elsewhere.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有仙草茶吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Mesona herbal drink
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Taiwan's mesona-growing and processing tradition includes dried stems and leaves for drinks as well as starch-set desserts. The liquid brew and the jelly share a plant, but have different textures and ways of serving.