Sarawakian Local Delights : Herbal Drink - White Snake Grass

 White snake grass is found around kampong houses all over Sarawak. Its scientific name is Hedyotis diffusa. A small plant and easily hidden by other taller plants, it can grow up to 50 cm tall. The roots are slender, branching out , white in colour. The stems are slightly squarish which gives it a special identy. The small white flowers are pretty when you look closely.

This plant has brown seeds which are triangular.

We used to collect these to make a cooling tea.

白花蛇舌草

It has always been a good tea brewed by "barefoot Chinese medicine men/women. Our ancestors, like my great grandfather would go out to look for herbs, medicinal plants in Sibu and its surrounding areas. How wonderful it must have been for them to identify such good plants which are also endemic in Fujian.

 As kids we were given the drink whenever we had problems of heatiness and when we had difficulties in urination.

For a treat our mother would add some rock sugar to the bitter tea.

In the olden days, this was our free cooling tea or liang teh from nature. 

God is always provident.