Herb: Dried Red Dates

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Feb 162011

Dried, pitted red dates

Herb Name: Dried Red Dates. Also called Chinese Dates, or Jujube.

Herb Name in Chinese: 紅棗 (Hóng zǎo)

Description:

Red dates are an edible fruit with a hard pit inside and grows from a deciduous tree shrub.
When immature, the fruit has a smooth green skin with a consistency and flavor similar to an apple. When ripe, the fruit has a sweeter taste, turns brown and the skin begins to wrinkle.
Can be eaten fresh as a fruit, or in candied dried form as a snack.
Red dates are used in many Chinese and Asian dishes and soups.
They are also used in China to make tea, juice, vinegar, and wine.

Red Dates’ Uses and Health Benefits:

In Chinese medicine, red dates are warm in nature. They nourish the spleen, strengthen the Qi (vital energy), and promote blood cell formation.
Seedless dried red dates are less warm in nature compared to its seeded counterpart. Hence, in Chinese medicine, the seedless form is better for those who have too much Yang (heat).
Red dates are also known to calm the nerves and soothe a sore throat.
See a list of soup recipes using red dates.

Preparation: