Beauty Yakuzen Chai: Yang Guifei's White Fungus and Four Ingredients That Nourish 'Moisture'

Beauty Begins with "Moisture"

Across every era and culture, people asked for the secret to beauty have often arrived at the same answer: moisture. In East Asian medicine, the dewiness of skin and the sheen of hair are thought to be sustained by a moistening component that fills the body's interior, called yin (陰). Replenishing this moisture is known as jiin (nourishing yin, 滋陰). Beauty yakuzen is a body of wisdom that seeks to nourish moisture from within, rather than applying it from without.

In this article, we'll introduce a way to turn four representative yin-nourishing ingredients -- Job's tears, white fungus, lily bulb, and goji berry -- into a warm cup of milk chai. It takes the "qi, blood, and fluids" framework covered in our intro to yakuzen chai one step further, focusing on "moisture." Let's begin with a famous legend about a peerless beauty.

The Legend of Yang Guifei and White Fungus

Yang Guifei, of the Tang dynasty, was one of China's Four Great Beauties. The secret said to have preserved her translucent skin was white fungus (silver ear, 白木耳・銀耳). Beloved by Emperor Xuanzong, she is said to have ordered her personal cooks to simmer white fungus, incorporating it into her daily dietary care.

At the time, white fungus was an extremely rare, high-grade ingredient. Wild specimens grew only sparingly on decaying wood deep in the mountains, and their scarcity earned praise as "a moistening elixir rivaling swallow's nest." Its distinctive springy texture comes from an abundance of dietary fiber, and in yakuzen it is said to moisten the lungs and bring moisture to a dry body. Its properties are covered on the white fungus page. Dried white fungus swells several times over when rehydrated in water, and turns silky and refined when simmered.

Japan's "Job's-Tears Tea" Culture and Job's Tears

The other star among moistening ingredients, Job's tears, is deeply familiar to people in Japan. Come summer, "hato-mugi tea" lines supermarket shelves alongside barley tea, long enjoyed as a staple health tea.

Job's tears is known by the herbal name yokuinin (薏苡仁) and has been recognized since ancient times as an ingredient that conditions the skin. It appears in Edo-period herbals, and has traditionally been thought to aid the circulation of excess moisture in the body and keep skin smooth. If yin-nourishing ingredients play the role of "adding moisture," Job's tears plays the role of "regulating circulation and improving drainage of excess water" -- and yakuzen holds that pairing the two brings moisture into balance. See the Job's tears page for details. Its toasty flavor pairs well with milk chai, making it ideal for anyone seeking beautiful skin through Job's-tears tea.

Lily Bulb and Goji Berry Add Their Colors to the Moisture

Lily Bulb: White Scales That Calm the Mind

The lily bulb you meet in chawanmushi or osechi New Year's dishes is, in fact, an excellent yakuzen ingredient. These white scales -- the bulb of the lily -- are said in yakuzen to moisten the lungs while calming a restless, worried mind. As an ingredient that nourishes both "moisture" and "ease" at once, it's indispensable in classic medicinal congee. Its refined, fluffy sweetness lends a gentle richness to chai. See the lily bulb page for more.

Goji Berry: A Superfood of Red Color

The vividly red goji berry is a superfood known in the West as the goji. In yakuzen it is believed to nourish the liver and kidneys, and has traditionally been valued above all for easing eye fatigue. Float a few atop a beauty yakuzen chai full of white ingredients and you add both visual beauty and a gentle sweet-tartness.

Practical Recipe: Moisture-Nourishing Beauty Yakuzen Milk Chai

A gentle-tasting cup woven from white ingredients, sized for two mugs (about 400ml).

Ingredients

• Water ... 250ml
• Milk (or soy milk) ... 150ml
• White fungus ... 2g dried (rehydrate in advance and tear into small pieces)
• Job's tears ... 1 tablespoon (rinse quickly)
• Lily bulb ... 1/4 bulb's worth (separate the scales)
• Goji berries ... 1 teaspoon
• Black tea (Assam, etc.) ... 2 teaspoons
• Honey ... to taste

Method

1. Put the water, rehydrated white fungus, Job's tears, and lily bulb in a pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Job's tears is hard, so soaking it overnight in advance helps it cook through.
2. Once the white fungus turns silky, add the tea leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes.
3. Pour in the milk and heat until just before boiling.
4. Turn off the heat, add the goji berries, and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Strain into cups and add honey to taste. You can also drop the simmered white fungus and lily bulb straight into the cup to enjoy their texture.

The silky mouthfeel makes for a comforting cup in dry seasons, or when air conditioning leaves skin feeling tight. Read it alongside our spice wisdom for skin and you can mind moisture from both inside and out for more complete care.

A Few Small Tips for Enjoying It

• Ideal for an evening moment. If caffeine is a concern, swap the black tea for rooibos, and like our herbs that soothe the mind, it becomes a cup that accompanies a calm, pre-sleep hour.
• Even mellower with soy milk. Swap the milk for soy milk and the white ingredients gain a greater sense of unity, with a lighter finish.
• Start sparingly with sweetness. Lily bulb and goji berry bring their own natural sweetness, so it's best to adjust honey starting from a very small amount.

Keep in mind that the benefits of yakuzen depend on matching ingredients to your own constitution. Those who are pregnant, have chronic conditions, or take medication should be aware that some ingredients may be best avoided -- when in doubt, consult a professional before adding them in.

Summary

Beauty yakuzen chai can begin with four familiar, approachable ingredients: Job's tears, white fungus, lily bulb, and goji berry. The white fungus Yang Guifei loved and Japan's Job's-tears tea, taken to their roots, are grounded in the same wisdom of "nourishing moisture." Once you know the perspective of nourishing yin, you gain the pleasure of choosing ingredients to match your skin and mood on any given day. Start with the basic recipe and savor the feeling of being filled from within. And if you learn your taste tendencies through ChaiHolic's taste diagnosis, your affinity with these beauty yakuzen ingredients is sure to come into focus.

References

• The Japan Society for Oriental Medicine - About Kampo
• National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition - Information on the Safety and Effectiveness of Health Foods
• Japan Kampo Medicines Manufacturers Association - Guide to Crude Drugs