Recipe
Bitter fa thalai chon infusion
- Herb:
- Andrographis Andrographis paniculata
- Method:
- Herbal infusion (tea)
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 15 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Pour 250 ml of water just off the boil over a teaspoon of dried andrographis herb.
- Cover and steep 10 minutes, then strain.
- Add honey and a slice of ginger or lemon — the bitterness stays but becomes bearable.
- Drink warm twice a day at the first symptoms, for a week at most; with fever above 39 °C or worsening, see a doctor.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 1 teaspoon (about 1.5 g) of dried aerial parts per 250 ml
- Solvent:
- hot water, 10 minutes covered
- Shelf life:
- drink warm
- Target compounds:
- diterpene lactones (andrographolide) enter hot water only partly; the infusion is extremely bitter
Notes
A Thai household drink at the first signs of a cold, for 5–7 days at most. Not in pregnancy or when breastfeeding (EMA HMPC), not with blood thinners without advice. The taste is famously bitter — hence 'king of bitters'.
Why it works
The herb's bitterness comes from diterpene lactones, chiefly andrographolide, which dissolve only sparingly in water — clinical trials therefore use standardised extracts in tablets. The meta-analysis by Hu et al. 2017 (33 RCTs, 7,175 patients) found relief of cough and sore throat and a shorter illness versus placebo, but rates the trial quality as low and notes missing manufacturing data for the products. EMA HMPC recognises traditional use for colds; a home infusion is the traditional form, not a verified dose.
Literature
- EMA HMPC: Andrographidis herba — European Union herbal monograph — Traditional use for acute symptoms of the common cold; not during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Hu XY et al. (2017): Andrographis paniculata (Chuan Xin Lian) for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory tract infections in adults and children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 12(8):e0181780 — 33 RCTs, 7 175 patients; relief of cough and sore throat compared with placebo, low study quality.
Related
Andrographis — Herb card
Herbal infusion (tea) — Processing method detail