RED DATES WITH CHINESE GINGER TEA
Many people swear by this Chinese Ginger Tea with Dates (called jiangcha in Chinese or jiangtang in Mandarin) as a natural treatment for the common cold.
As soon as one of the main characters is trapped in a downpour without any rain gear, a parent or love interest immediately brews some ginger tea and “demands” that they drink it straight away to “drive away from the chill.” What’s going to happen next? All smiles and good vibes!
They would be sick in bed with a fever if alone, but their love interest would come and save the day (PROBABLY with some ginger tea).
A CHINESE HOME REMEDY FOR COLDS AND CHILLS: GINGER TEA
Home remedies such as Chinese ginger tea have been handed down through the decades.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s said to increase blood circulation, remove moisture, and develop a strong Qi.
When a cold starts, we instinctively go for something hot to drink. This ginger tea with red dates (also known as Chinese jujube or Chinese dates) offers additional benefits:
Vitamin C-rich red dates go well with ginger’s warming properties. However, I’ve left them out of the recipe because they can be challenging to locate. This tea is still helpful without them.
Brown or black sugar from China differs from the light/dark variety you’ll find in your local grocery. Instead of granulated, this sugar is boiled to a fine powder. Although it contains sugar, many Chinese consider it a nutritious dish! If you can’t get your hands on it, simply use honey.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of water
- 15g. of ginger (thinly sliced)
- 15g. of Chinese red dates (halved)
- Chinese brown/black sugar or honey
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Ginger and dates go into a small pot with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for a few minutes.
- After the water has come to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. You can use honey instead of Chinese brown sugar, but if you want, you can leave this step out. Continue to cook, covered, for a further five minutes.
- Pour the tea into a mug and let it steep for a few minutes. You want to consume the tea while it’s still hot, so let it drop to a palatable temperature.