Cold schisandra drink (omija-cha)

Name: Cold schisandra drink (omija-cha)
Total time: 12 h 10 min
Yield: 4 glasses
Ingredients: 25 g dried schisandra berries (± 3 tablespoons); 1 litre water, boiled and cooled; 3 to 4 tablespoons honey; ½ pear (optional)

Updated on 10 October 2026

Makes: 4 glasses
Time: 10 min + 12 hrs steeping
From: Chinese magnolia vine

Ingredients

25 g dried schisandra berries (± 3 tablespoons)
1 litre water, boiled and cooled
3 to 4 tablespoons honey
½ pear (optional)

Method

Rinse the dried berries briefly and put them in a clean jug or jar.
Pour the cooled water over them, cover and leave to steep in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, until the water is bright pink. Do not boil the berries, or the drink turns bitter.
Strain the drink through a fine sieve without pressing the berries.
Dissolve the honey in a few tablespoons of warm water and stir it in. Serve cold, perhaps with thin slices of pear, as in Korea.

Storing: Three days in the fridge. In moderation: one glass a day.