Recipe
Biwa-cha — loquat leaf tea
- Herb:
- Loquat Eriobotrya japonica
- Method:
- Herbal infusion (tea)
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 20 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Crumble dried leaves (brushed, without the felty coating) and put 2 tablespoons into a pan with 500 ml of water.
- Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes on a low flame.
- Strain through a fine sieve so no leaf hairs pass.
- Drink warm; in Japan it is also drunk chilled through summer.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 2 tablespoons of dried chopped leaf per 500 ml
- Solvent:
- water, simmer for 10 minutes (decoction), covered
- Shelf life:
- 1 day in the fridge
- Target compounds:
- triterpenes (ursolic acid), flavonoids and tannins; the decoction is reddish-brown and slightly astringent
Notes
A traditional Japanese and Chinese drink with no known particular risks in ordinary amounts; use leaves only, never seeds or kernels (amygdalin). Brush the felty underside off before drying, the hairs irritate the throat.
Why it works
The decoction draws triterpenes and flavonoids from the leaf; loquat leaf (pipa ye) is traditionally used for cough and phlegm in Chinese materia medica, and Liu's review summarises laboratory anti-inflammatory data behind it. Human clinical evidence is lacking.
Literature
- Liu Y, Zhang W, Xu C, Li X (2016): Biological Activities of Extracts from Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.): A Review. Int J Mol Sci 17(12):1983 — Review of leaf and fruit composition and laboratory data; traditional use of the leaf for cough.
Related
Loquat — Herb card
Herbal infusion (tea) — Processing method detail