Gui Hua ~ A Retreat of Sweet-scented Flora Tea and Dessert

The science of TCM and Chinese medicine theory always mentioned about “heat, cold, wind, Qi, blood and Qi stasis, meridian circulation" and so on and it is quite complicated. But the Chinese medicine theory believed that human internal organs are well distributed thus the vitality is exuberant, healthy skin is surely bright and clean, ruddy, in harmony of physique and preserve healthy body. Normally use of herb, tea, plant, foods and drinks, to promote healthy functioning of human body is for prevention and alternative healing purposes.

The modern medicine also confirmed that in the flora tea includes the multivitamins, the trace element and essential oil, which may promote the skin metabolism, metabolic and improve collagen archery target to renew, improve elasticity and restores skin's young blood, antioxidant properties in delay in aging.

What the Chinese medicine in improving skin and vitality of beautiful skin mostly fastidious and well distributed vitality, When traditional Chinese dietary therapy is according to individual physique, reasonably taking flora tea may enhance the skin cell's metabolism, supplemented the skin with good nutrient when consumption, strengthens skin physiological function, gives the skin gloss, delicate, the high resilience. It also calms the nerves that comfort and indulgences our mind.

From a medical point of view, and my job as an Aesthetician, I believed that worry and constant anxiety negatively affect not only to the physical functioning of our body, as well as affected the skin that cause pathological changes and rapidly aging process. The healthy skin, is mainly depends upon the health the body, with combined of proper and obtaining nutritious diet, good mood and on various aspect factor. Flora variety on flora tea scientifically, is also helpful and revitalized skin in cosmetology nowadays.

Osmanthus Flower tea a Retreat to Emperor’s Desserts and beverage.

Here’s what I give myself a royalty treat with "Gui Hua cha", "Gui Hua Gou". Gui Hua also known as Sweet Osmanthus flower.

According to legend, one of the famous dessert or snack for the Qing Dynasty Emperors, cakes made from Gui hua, called “Gui Hua Gao”, making into syrup, cooking with soup. Gui Hua making into desserts, soup, tea or dishes was used by the Qing Dynasty in alternative healing, to stimulate the stomach, kidneys, and appetite; reduce cough and phlegm, reduce internal heat and nourish the body, to prolong the Emperor’s life.

Now in modern day, it has been well-known as famous dessert in Hong Kong, Taiwan and in Chinese dietetic culture. It has invented with a great variety of tea, beverage, foods, dessert in styles and cooked in many ways.

Normally this flora tea is widely used in for refreshing and relaxation, anti-inflammation, with mild stimulant and soothing effect. I like this flavorful scented Gui Hua, known as Osmanthus flowers is a sweet-scented flora tea which can made into healthy, delicious and wonderful desserts, tea, beverage and soup. Other than health and beauty, amazingly it is also a great mouth odor naturally refreshing tea by using Gui Hua Tea (Osmanthus fragrans) and Gou Lin Gou (Tortle Jelly).

Bad breath sometimes really affected the total image in personal grooming, social life and uncomfortable thought when talking to others. To say the lease, Keeping away from mouth odors and bad breath in refreshing condition, we may use of chewing gum, mouth freshener, or herbal toothpaste to ease and maintaining bad breathe. Still some of the bad breath problems maybe from the tooth decay, gum disease, after eaten of certain foods, indigestion problems e.g digestive tract functioning is poor may cause by “heat” in the liver and stomach may link to bad breath, or cause by certain mouth, nose and throat diseases like tonsillitis, and sinusitis. Thus using the right flora tea making into herbal tea, snack, dessert and foods were very effective in building health through diet. Gui Hua tea also produces sweet scented also good for headache and calming effect.

This traditional tea combination is usually brewing and drunk by women for enhance the beauty of the skin in ancient time even now and then.


Gui Hua (Osmanthus flora) + Oolong Tea

Sweet-scented Gui Hua infused with Oolong tea is commonly my cup of tea. Gui Hua added with Oolong Tea makes the good basement flower progress; we can also buy the ready mixed Gui Hua Oolong Cha/Tea in China.

It’s an excellent mouth odors alternative herbal tea. Helps to purifying skin tone, for people who likes to be slim, treats toothache, reduces of phlegm, relieve sore throat, promote saliva and body fluids, revitalize and nourishing kidney to treat “Yin” deficiency, and detoxify toxin in the body.

Porcelain teapot should be used for brew Osmanthus Oolong tea, it said always use porcelain teapot for Chinese tea or Green tea, but I prefer to brew in my so-called cute Mineral green teapot for few minutes, and then pour it into my infuser that’s much easier to pour out the tea without the tea leaves and flora.



Making your own Gui Hua Syrup

Use of Gui hua added with honey, maltose cooked into syrup or sauce to add sweetness & fragrance to various dessert, cakes, beverage and "gui hua" sauce in red bean porridge.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs. Dried Gui Hua
• Maltose syrup 1/2 cup
• Honey 1/2 cup
• Water 1/2 cup
• Little bit of salt

Method:

1. Use Dried Gui Hua, wash and drain the water. Ready for use.
2. Put in maltose and honey and water in cooking pot.
3. Measure maltose/honey and water into a 2:1 ratio and bring to a boil.
4. Low heat cook the maltose, Honey and Gui Hua flower until syrup thickens turns a dark golden color.
5. Add in little bit of salt. (Optional)
6. Pour into a clean glass jar.

This is Sweet Scented "Gui Hua syrup". Or "Osmanthus Flora sauce"

• It can be taken with any Chinese dessert such as Gui Lig Gao (Herbal Turtle Jelly)

• mix 1 tbs of Gui Hua syrup with water, it soothes the throat and relieve of phlegm.

Gui Hua Gao (Sweet Osmanthus Dessert)

Retreat myself with "Gui Hua Gao", what a wonderful thing and it is so refreshing! We are lucky now in this modern century, as in ancient time, Gui Hua Gao is the desserts and food for the Emperors only.


Ingredients:

• 3 tbs. Gui hua
• 1 tbs. Wolfberry
  
• 1 bowl of Eucheuma Seaweed
  
• 6 Red dates
  
• 2 tbs. Rock Sugar

Method:

1. Pour hot water into osmanthus (Gui Hua) in infuser or pot, simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.

2. Wash and soak wolfberry, red dates until soft, cut into smaller slices.



3. Blend Eucheuma Seaweed , set aside ready for use.









4. Remove the gui hua flora (do not throw away, need it to add in Jelly later),

5. Use the gui hua water, bring the water to boil, add in goji (Wolfberry), red dates and rock sugar to cook for 5 - 10 minutes.









6. Add in Eucheuma Seaweed, cook till totally dissolve.








7. Add in little bit of Gui Hua flora, stir well and serve hot or cold.

8. Pour in Jelly mould and let it set. Keep in refrigerator.


When hot, serve like bird nest soup.














keep in refrigerator serve cold as "Gui Hua Gao"















Gui Lin Gou ~ Turtle Jelly

Gui Lin Gou (Herbal turtle Jelly)is well known by most Chinese and among many household today. It has medication effect and quite common use to reduce of toxins, treat boils and skin problems. The treatment principle is to cool the blood and clear the heat, It is highly recommended to be consumed on a regular basic for detoxify the accumulated heat toxins in the human body. Due to its low fat, low cholesterol and low calorie in nature, it helps in adjusting blood sugar and blood fats. For those sleep late and fatigue physique body, this help in reducing the liver heat, damp heat and so on.

Gou Lin Gao (Herbal Turtle Jelly) ~ herbal dessert is concocted by the Qing Dynasty in ancient years ago as well. It’s tasteless with slightly bitterness in taste. When "Guo Lin Gao" added "Gui Hua Syrup" due to its aromatic scented flavor to sweeten the bitter "Gui Lin Gao" and also to enhance the medicinal effect. Gui Lin Gao is very cooling herbal dessert. It is not advisable for pregnant women to take it excessively.

I am not going to show how to make "Gou Lin gou" here anyway, as it is quite easy to do it yourself, buy a packet of "powder Gui Lin Gao" from most Chinese medicine store. Method to do is simple, just simply dilute the powder "Gou Lin Gou" with water, check the label instructions accordingly to add water quantity, mix well in paste form, bring to boil or pour in hot boiling water and stir it till thicken paste and let it set in container to become a jelly form. That's it.


I used ready made Gui Lin Gou to prepare this herbal dessert with my new implemented formula. By using Eucheuma Seaweed, Gou Lin Gao and Gui Hua extract and syrup to make this cooling and rejuvenating herbal flora dessert. Using of Eucheuma Seaweed instead of using Agar-agar, Eucheuma Seaweed gives me the effect of like taking collagen or bird nest, anyway it is "Sea bird nest", Eucheuma seaweed is to nourish “yin” in skin deep for anti-aging, detoxifies toxin, it works wonderful with "Gou Lin Gao" by adding "Gui Hui syrup" scent gives mind calming and soothing effect.


Senz’s delight dessert ~ Gui Hua Gui Lin Gou Eucheuma Seaweed Jelly

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs. Gui hua (Osmanthus flora)
• 1 bowl of Eucheuma Seaweed (blended)
• 1 tbs. Goji (wolfberry)
• 6 Red dates
• 2 tbs. Rock Sugar


Method:

1. Pour hot water into osmanthus (Gui Hua) in infuser or pot, simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.

2. Remove the gui hua flora (do not throw away, need it to add in Jelly later).

3. Wash and soak wolfberry, red dates until soft, cut into smaller slices.



4. Blend Eucheuma Seaweed , set aside ready for use.

5. Use the gui hua water, bring the water to boil, add in goji (Wolfberry), red dates and rock sugar to cook for 5 - 10 minutes.

6. Add in Eucheuma seaweed. Cook till the Eucheuma seaweed totally dissolved. Add in Gui Hua and stir well.

7. Pour in Jelly mould and add gui hua on top of the Jelly. Let it set and keep in refrigerator and serve cold.

Look at this...lets enjoying the luxurious indulgence with this sweet and bitter scented flavor dessert. It is such a refreshing and beautiful combination and formulated for beauty and reduce heat in the liver and stomach.


Sweet-scented osmanthus flower, Gou Lin Gou with Eucheuma Seaweed has has the curative effect for hoarsely voice and sore throat, also for the beneficial stomach to ease the digestive problems, great detoxification flora seaweed Jelly, helps in improving skin problems such as pimples and acne, it improves constipation, the aromatic scented relieve and beneficial delicacy sweets in calming.