Soup Name: Voice Recovery Tea or “Lost Voice” Tea

Traditional Chinese Name: 開聲茶 (kāi shēng chá)

Introduction:

This drink is literally called “Open Voice Tea”.  I’m not posting the ingredients to this tea because I don’t actually know them all.  I bought this as a prepackaged “tea” from my Chinese doctor because I lost my voice due to a cold or cough or throat infection (I’m not sure because it’s been a long 4-week marathon of illness).  What you will notice in this tea is that there are these GIANT, MEGA flies in them.  I have yet to figure out what breed they are and what are the uses, but my Chinese colleagues at work have told me that it’s common to drink these flies when one loses their voice (so it’s not completely a wacko’s idea of a joke).  The tea tastes pretty minty and thoroughly bitter and I didn’t enjoy it one bit.  I’m not sure whether it worked or not, but I did eventually get my voice back after drowning myself in Chinese medicine because all else failed.  You can buy this prepackaged from your local herbalist or Chinese doctor and it cost around $30 HKD per pack.  I’m not a fan of Chinese medicine, but I couldn’t help post this very interesting discovery.

What ingredients are required?

Ask your Chinese doctor or herbalist if such a tea exists.  I didn’t delve too deeply into the ingredients because I was in a rush and just wanted something to give me my voice back.  I will write this section if and when I have time to go back to dissect it.

How do I prepare it?

Any benefits?

• It’s supposed to help you recover your “lost” voice – literally

Any precautions?

• I drank 2 cups in a period of about 3 hours and started getting dizzy right after (ie: felt like I was on a floating high – oscillating around the office)
• Take caution if you don’t think you can handle too cooling ingredients (definitely ask the Chinese doctor)
• It tastes very bitter

The flies (up close & personal)