Jiaogulan

Good jiaogulan is made from whole or large-cut dried leaf and vine that still shows green color, with a fresh, grassy, slightly sweet aroma; dull, brown, dusty material has lost both flavor and the characteristic sweet note. The signature sweet-then-bitter taste is the thing to look for, as the initial sweetness (the reason for one of its Chinese names) marks a decent batch. Material from Guizhou and other parts of southern China is the traditional benchmark, though it is also grown in Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. Because it is increasingly sold as a wellness product, watch for vague sourcing and for blends padded with other green herbs. As a leaf infusion it keeps reasonably well when sealed and away from light, though fresher leaf gives a livelier, sweeter cup.

Jiaogulan is Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a climbing vine in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, the same family as cucumber and melon, and not related to true ginseng at all. It grows wild and cultivated across southern China and parts of Southeast Asia and East Asia, where it is also known by names meaning herb of immortality. The leaves and tender vine are dried for tea. It contains no caffeine, so its energizing reputation is unrelated to stimulants.

Brew it like a green tea: about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaf per cup, water at 90 to 100°C, steeped 5 to 8 minutes for a Western-style cup. Because it is a leaf, it re-steeps generously, easily giving three or more infusions, and many drinkers keep topping up the same leaf through the day. Steeping longer or hotter brings out more of the bitter finish, so adjust to taste. It will not turn harshly astringent the way real tea can.

Moderate for an herbal: roughly €8-20 (about $9-22) per 100 g, with organic, single-origin Chinese leaf toward the higher end.

Prices reviewed June 2026