Spiced Citrus Loquat Tea
Sutras have long considered the loquat tree, “The King of Medicinal Trees.* The loquat tree is native to southeastern China, having been cultivated in this region for medicinal purposes for over 2,000 years. Scientific reviews report how extracts from the loquat tree may help curb inflammation, diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, aging, and allergies.** Although the loquat tree is known for its golden, pear-shaped fruit, few are aware that its leaves can be boiled to make a delicious rosy tea. I discovered this by accident during the pandemic when my mom and I were researching uses for this exotic fruit. While learning of jams and muffins, we came across a post for this caffeine-free tea. Now, on wintery evenings, I brew a batch of loquat tea whose earthy flavor pairs well with mulling spices, like the smokiness of anise and the woody hint of cinnamon sticks. And it is all offset by the complexity of sweet and sour citrus, like orange and lemon juice. Cozy up and see how this unique twist on loquat tea will warm a winter’s night!
Ingredients
- 6 large, 8-9-inch fresh loquat leaves
- 1 liter of water, I use filtered
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 t. orange juice
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anises
- 2 t. honey
Directions
- Step 1 Note: you may want to use an old, stainless-steel pot for boiling the loquat leaves. This is because the leaves may stain the pot red when steeping. In most cases, I’ve been able to scrub the red film off, but just beware.
- Step 2 Now, take a loquat leaf and turn it over on its back side. Use your thumbnail or a curved, butter knife at an angle to scrape off the fuzz between the veins on the underside. If you find this tedious, you can use the scrub side of a wet kitchen sponge to rub off the fuzz, which is largely stuck between the veins. This is my favorite method since I find it the most expedient. Choose whatever method works for you, but you will want to remove the fuzz because it is known to be a throat irritant. Once you have, rinse the leaves with water, wash off any remaining fuzz, and pat the leaves dry.
- Step 3 Next, use a sharp, pointed knife to cut along the right side of the midrib or the central vein of the leaf. Pull off the right half of the leaf and repeat this process for the left side of the leaf. Discard the midrib and cut the halves into 3-4 strips. Repeat this for all 6 leaves.
- Step 4 Then, pour your water into a stainless-steel pot and add the cinnamon sticks, anise, and chopped leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat on the stovetop and reduce the heat to a simmer. Boil for 15 minutes and remove from heat. Then, cover and steep for 15-30 minutes. Note: the longer you let the leaves steep, the more concentrated the tea will be. I like my tea strong, so you may want to adjust. After you have the right concentration, strain the tea into 2 mugs. Discard the leaves but add one star anise and one cinnamon stick to each mug for extra potency, if you’d like.
- Step 5 Finally, squeeze the lemon and orange juice into a small bowl and stir in the honey if yours is crystallized. In such a case, blend the honey with the juice and split between each mug. Or if your honey is in a runny, liquid state, add the 2 t. honey, 2 t. orange juice, and juice of ½ a lemon to each mug. Taste for the right balance of sweetness to sourness, and earthy tones. Adjust accordingly and reheat if needed.
- Step 6 NOTE: loquat tea is widely consumed on a daily basis. But as a precaution, I should warn my readers of a man who was hospitalized with toxic myopathy after drinking 2 liters of loquat tea a day for 2 weeks. Upon his release, he just reduced his intake.*** So, go easy, but drink and enjoy!
Try this unique recipe of spiced citrus loquat tea and see how the mulling properties of anise and cinnamon sticks pairs well with the earthy flavors of loquat leaves. And the combination of citrus juice and honey creates a balance of sweetness to sourness, which offsets the smokiness of the spices.
SOURCES:
*Yoda, Hiroko, “Loquats Ripen in Abundance,” Japan Happiness, 11 June 2024. Extracted from https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/loquats-ripen-in-abundance on 11 November 2024.
**Liu, Y., Zhang, W., Xu, C., & Li, X. (2016). Biological Activities of Extracts from Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.): A Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 17(12), 1983. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms17121983
**Cha DS, Shin TY, Eun JS, Kim DK, Jeon H. Anti-metastatic properties of the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica. Arch Pharm Res. 2011 Mar;34(3):425-36. doi: 10.1007/s12272-011-0310-1. Epub 2011 May 6. PMID: 21547674.
***Yoda, Hiroko. See first reference.
*** Saliba WR, Goldstein LH, Habib GS, et al Toxic myopathy induced by the ingestion of loquat leaf extract. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2004;63:1355-1356.