Name: Biwa-Cha (Loquat Leaf Tea)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 loquat leaves (glossy green on top, furry on the bottom); 10 ounces water; Sweetener of your choice (optional)

By Anna Bower

Small tea pot and tea cup filled with dark honey colored loquat tea. — Photo: Rosminah Brown

After removing the fuzzy hairs from their undersides, loquat leaves can be brewed into a tea known as biwa-cha in Japan, where it is traditionally used to treat coughs, stomach issues, and kidney ailments; the resulting infusion has a dark honey hue and a lightly sweet flavor, much like South African honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) tea.

Ingredients

2 loquat leaves, glossy green on top, furry on the bottom
10 ounces water
Sweetener of your choice (optional)

Instructions

Pick 2 fresh unblemished loquat leaves. Ensure these are free of pesticides or other chemicals.
Using a knife or a clean scouring sponge, scrape off the soft fur from the underside of the leaves. In addition to them clouding your tea, the fine hairs can cause irritation. If your skin is sensitive to contact dermatitis, wear gloves for this task.
Using a knife, cut away the central rib of the leaves, then crumple the leaves to break them up, and slice them into slivers.
In a small saucepan, add the leaf pieces and 10 ounces of water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then steep 10–15 minutes. Strain into your favorite mug. This tea already has a light sweet flavor, but add optional sweetener of your choice, like honey.