Prevent Heat Stroke with Mung Bean Tea
The majority of Americans have air conditioning in their homes and cars, making heat stroke less of a danger than it was in decades past. Still, with our hot and muggy weather it is sometimes hard to get cool come July and August. A helpful home remedy for this is mung bean tea. Mung beans are part of the Chinese herbal pharmacy. They are considered to be a cool and sweet herb. They have the function of clearing summer heat (the TCM equivalent of heat stroke) and quenching thirst.
Before the advent of air conditioning and refrigeration in China (a rather recent occurrence) farmers would often brew pots of mung bean tea to stay cool in the summer while working in the fields. School infirmaries would keep large vats of this tea to help revive students who had passed out during class, overcome by heat exhaustion in their classrooms.
While we have the luxury of escaping to air conditioning this summer, there is still a place for this herbal remedy in our lives. The next time you plan on spending a weekend doing yard work in 85 degree weather, remember to boil up some mung bean tea!
Directions for Mung Bean Tea:
Place 1 cup of mung beans in a medium saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Soak for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain, cool and serve. The tea can be flavored with honey.