Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum tea (juhua) is a caffeine-free infusion of dried chrysanthemum blossoms, central to Chinese tea culture and traditional medicine for its cooling, soothing reputation. The cup is pale gold, delicately floral, lightly sweet, and clean. Quality varies with the cultivar and origin, with Hangzhou white chrysanthemum (hangbaiju) and Huangshan Gongju among the prized types, and it is classically paired with ripe puerh.
Whole, intact dried blossoms with good color (creamy white to pale yellow) and a clean, sweet-floral scent; browned, crumbled, or musty flowers are old or poorly dried. Named origins such as Tongxiang hangbaiju, its premium bud grade taiju, and Huangshan Gongju signal a sweeter, cleaner cup. Tiny wild chrysanthemum (yejuhua) is more bitter and medicinal, while the cultivated white and yellow types are the sweeter ones for drinking.
Chrysanthemum for tea is grown across China, with celebrated origins including Tongxiang in Zhejiang (hangbaiju, the white chrysanthemum, and its premium unopened-bud grade taiju) and Huangshan in Anhui (Gongju, a former tribute flower); the common name hangbaiju carries a Hangzhou reference for trade reasons, but Tongxiang is the growing center, and different cultivars give different sweetness and aroma. It is deeply tied to traditional Chinese medicine, where it is considered cooling and taken for eye strain and heat, and it is very commonly blended with ripe puerh (juhua puerh) to soften and perfume the tea.
Western: 90-95°C, a small handful of flowers (roughly 2-3 g) per 250 ml, 3-5 minutes; the flowers re-steep two or three times. It needs no sweetener but takes rock sugar well in the Chinese style. Brew it alongside or after a ripe puerh for the classic combination.
An accessible flower tea: roughly €10-25 (about $11-27) per 100 g, with named premium origins such as Gongju or top hangbaiju costing more.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Rooibos
Another caffeine-free, gentle, naturally sweet infusion, but earthy and vanilla-ish rather than floral.
Jasmine Green (Scented)
The other great Chinese floral tea, though scented onto green tea rather than a pure flower infusion.
Honeybush
A sweet, caffeine-free herbal in the same gentle, low-stakes evening territory.
Chrysanthemum has been drunk in China for over a thousand years and is one of the most common flower infusions in the country, valued in traditional medicine as a cooling remedy for the eyes and for summer heat. Pairing it with ripe puerh (juhua puerh) is a classic combination that perfumes the tea and is said to balance the puerh's warming nature.