Some of the most treasured ingredients in Chinese food therapy hide in plain sight. The mulberry is one of them. Its deep purple fruit — called 桑葚 (sāng shèn in Mandarin, sang shen in common English spelling) — has been gathered from mulberry trees for thousands of years, used both as a sweet snack and as a gently restorative tea.
Where modern wellness sees an antioxidant-rich berry, traditional Chinese medicine sees something more specific: a fruit that nourishes yin and blood (滋阴养血), supports the Liver and Kidneys, and helps the body stay moist and calm. Brewed into tea, dried mulberries release a wine-like sweetness with a sour edge — the flavor profile TCM associates with ingredients that generate fluids and soothe dryness.
In this guide, you'll learn the traditional profile of mulberry, the classic preparation for mulberry tea, warming variations for different needs, and who should drink it with care.
What Is Mulberry (桑葚) in TCM?
Mulberry is the fruit of the white mulberry tree (Morus alba), the same tree whose leaves have fed silkworms for millennia. In Chinese herbal and food traditions, the ripe fruit is valued far more than the leaves. Fresh mulberries appear briefly in late spring and early summer; outside that window, dried mulberries — small, wrinkled, and intensely sweet — carry the tradition through the year.
In TCM food therapy, mulberry has a distinctive energetic signature:
- Nature: cool (凉). It is classified as cooling rather than hot, which suits its role in calming heat-related restlessness and moistening dryness.
- Flavor: sweet and sour (甘酸). Sweet tones nourish, while sour flavor is traditionally understood to anchor fluids and astringe.
- Meridians: Heart, Liver, and Kidney (心、肝、肾经). These are the organ networks most connected to blood, essence, and rest in TCM theory.
Because of this profile, mulberry is described in classical texts as a food that nourishes yin and blood, generates fluids and relieves thirst, and moistens the intestines. In everyday terms, it is traditionally turned to when the body feels dry, depleted, or restless — after late nights, long screen days, seasonal dryness, or periods of stress.
Traditional Uses: From the Bencao Gangmu to Your Teacup
Mulberry has a long paper trail in Chinese medicine. The Bencao Gangmu (《本草纲目》, Li Shizhen's sixteenth-century Compendium of Materia Medica) praises the ripe fruit for helping to quiet the spirit, support clarity, and guard against premature aging — lines often summarized as "settling the soul and calming the spirit, brightening the eyes and keeping the hair from turning white." The Diannan Bencao (《滇南本草》, a regional herbal from Yunnan) similarly records mulberry as a kidney-supporting fruit linked to healthy hair and vision.
These are classical observations rather than modern clinical proof, but they explain the enduring folk uses of sang shen across China:
- For dryness and thirst — mulberry's sweet-sour juices were traditionally used to generate fluids in the mouth and throat, especially in warm weather or after salty meals.
- For the eyes — because it is believed to nourish Liver blood, the substance TCM associates with healthy vision, mulberry appears in many eye-care tonics alongside goji berries.
- For hair and nails — Kidney essence and blood are traditionally linked to hair quality; dark, blood-nourishing foods like mulberry have long been recommended to support lustrous hair.
- For restless sleep — by calming Heat in the Heart and nourishing blood, mulberry is sometimes included in blends for people who feel "hot and wired" at bedtime.
- For occasional constipation — the fruit's moistening quality was used to soften dry stools when the dryness stems from insufficient fluids.
One classic preparation is sang shen honey paste (桑葚蜜膏): fresh mulberries simmered down with honey into a thick spoonful that is dissolved in warm water. Mulberry tea is the lighter, everyday cousin of that tradition — easier to make, easier to drink, and easy to customize.
How to Brew Mulberry Tea
Dried mulberries are the most practical choice for tea because they store well and release their sweetness steadily. You can find them in Chinese grocery stores, herbal shops, or online under names like "dried mulberries" or "sang shen."
Basic Mulberry Tea
Ingredients:
- 15–20 g dried mulberries (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- Optional: 1 teaspoon honey or 1 small piece of rock sugar
Steps:
- Give the dried mulberries a quick rinse under cool water to remove dust.
- Bring the water to a boil in a small pot, then add the mulberries.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the water turns deep ruby-purple and smells faintly jammy.
- Strain into a mug, or leave the berries in and eat them at the end — they are delicious softened.
- Stir in honey or rock sugar while warm, if desired.
Quick steep method: In a hurry, place the dried mulberries in a mug, pour boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 8–10 minutes. The flavor is lighter than the simmered version but still pleasantly sweet-sour.
Variations and Pairings
The beauty of mulberry tea is how easily it adapts. TCM pairing logic usually adds a warming or targeting ingredient to the cooling mulberry base:
- Mulberry + goji berry — goji (枸杞) shares mulberry's affinity for Liver and Kidney yin and is the classic companion for eye and vitality blends. Try our goji and jujube tea as a related daily tonic.
- Mulberry + longan + jujube — longan and red dates warm the blend and add blood-supporting sweetness, making it gentler for people who run cold. See the mulberry story in our ingredient deep dive on mulberry.
- Mulberry + chrysanthemum — chrysanthemum clears and cools the upper body, a traditional pairing for tired, dry eyes after screen-heavy days.
- Mulberry + ginger — a slice or two of fresh ginger offsets the cool nature of mulberry, a thoughtful addition for cold stomachs.
- Iced mulberry tea — brew double-strength, let it cool, and pour over ice for a summer drink. The sweet-sour flavor is naturally refreshing, and the fluid-generating quality suits hot weather.
If you enjoy exploring blood- and yin-nourishing teas, you may also like the warming sweetness of goji and jujube tea and the berry-rich notes of goji berry itself in our goji berry guide.
When to Drink Mulberry Tea
Mulberry tea has no strict clock, but timing can make it more pleasant:
- Mid-afternoon — a natural pause when eyes feel tired and energy dips; the gentle sweetness offers a break from coffee.
- Evening, before bed — for people who feel warm, restless, or dry at night, a cup of mulberry tea is traditionally considered calming. Skip the honey if you prefer a less sweet nightcap.
- During dry seasons — autumn and heated indoor winters are when TCM most often recommends fluid-nourishing foods.
- After a late or heavy week — when you feel depleted rather than congested, mulberry tea is a mild, restorative choice.
One to two cups a day is a reasonable amount for most adults. As with any food therapy, consistency over weeks matters more than drinking large quantities at once.
Precautions: Who Should Be Careful
Mulberry is a food, and for most people mulberry tea is gentle. But its cool, moistening nature means a few groups should moderate their intake:
- Cold stomach or loose stools: people who often feel chilly in the abdomen, have weak digestion, or experience frequent loose stools may find mulberry too cooling. Drink less, or pair it with jujube, longan, or ginger.
- Active diarrhea: because mulberry moistens the intestines, it is best avoided until digestion settles.
- Blood sugar concerns: dried mulberries are concentrated in natural sugars. If you are managing diabetes or blood sugar, treat mulberry tea as a treat in small amounts and monitor your response.
- Pregnancy and nursing: food amounts are generally considered fine, but regular medicinal-strength intake is not well studied. Ask your healthcare provider.
If you buy dried mulberries, choose ones that are plump, deeply colored, and free of mold. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place — or in the refrigerator in humid climates — and use within a few months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink mulberry tea every day?
Yes, for most people one to two cups daily is comfortable. If you have a cold constitution or loose stools, reduce the amount or add warming partners like jujube and ginger.
Is mulberry tea safe during pregnancy?
Traditional food-level use is generally considered gentle, but medicinal-strength teas are not well studied in pregnancy. Check with your healthcare provider before making it a daily habit.
Does mulberry tea help with sleep, hair, or vision?
In TCM theory, mulberry nourishes the Liver and Kidney yin and blood traditionally linked to these concerns. Many practitioners recommend sang shen for such goals, but it is a supportive food-therapy measure rather than a treatment, and results vary from person to person.
What can I add to mulberry tea?
Goji berries, jujube, longan, chrysanthemum, and ginger all pair well. Honey or rock sugar softens the sour note.