Hot Ginger and Jujube Tea (Jiāng zǎo chá)
A golden, fragrant infusion of fresh ginger and red dates (jujubes), simmered until sweet and pungent, sometimes spiked with a little brown sugar. A medicinal drink from Chinese domestic medicine, drunk hot to warm the body and comfort the spirit.
A golden, fragrant infusion of fresh ginger and red dates (jujubes), simmered until sweet and pungent, sometimes spiked with a little brown sugar. A medicinal drink from Chinese domestic medicine, drunk hot to warm the body and comfort the spirit.
Beijing winters are dry and biting, and lab work doesn't warm your hands. When the cold set in, my mother — and later myself — would simmer sliced ginger and a few red dates, a lump of brown sugar in the water. You drink it scalding hot, in small sips: it stings at first, then a warmth rises from your belly to your cheeks. It's not learned medicine, but the body knows what does it good.
- •Fresh ginger — a good piece (warming root (signature))
- •Red dates (jujubes) — a handful (sweetness and tonic)
- •Brown sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Water — as needed (infusion)
Hot Ginger and Jujube Tea (Jiāng zǎo chá)
A golden, fragrant infusion of fresh ginger and red dates (jujubes), simmered until sweet and pungent, sometimes spiked with a little brown sugar. A medicinal drink from Chinese domestic medicine, drunk hot to warm the body and comfort the spirit.
Why this dish? A life in the lab, long hours bent over nuclear emulsions and cloud chambers, and many cold winters in Beijing: ginger and jujube tea is the home remedy every Chinese woman of her generation knew to warm up, ward off the cold, and regain strength.
Beijing winters are dry and biting, and lab work doesn't warm your hands. When the cold set in, my mother — and later myself — would simmer sliced ginger and a few red dates, a lump of brown sugar in the water. You drink it scalding hot, in small sips: it stings at first, then a warmth rises from your belly to your cheeks. It's not learned medicine, but the body knows what does it good.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh ginger — a good piece (warming root (signature))
- Red dates (jujubes) — a handful (sweetness and tonic)
- Brown sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Water — as needed (infusion)
Ingredients
- Fresh ginger — 40 g, sliced (warming root)
- Dried jujubes (red dates) — 8, split (sweetness and body)
- Brown cane sugar — 1 to 2 tbsp (sweetness (optional))
- Water — 800 ml (infusion)
Method
- Slice the ginger without peeling; split the jujubes to release their flavor.
- Bring the water to a simmer with the ginger and jujubes.
- Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the liquid is golden and fragrant.
- Sweeten to taste with brown sugar, strain, and serve hot in cups.
How it was made : Ginger and red dates have been pillars of Chinese domestic dietetics since antiquity: ginger is said to 'warm' and dispel cold, jujubes to 'nourish the blood.' This tea was prepared in every household at the onset of winter or at the first sign of a chill, long before any modern medicine.
The contemporary twist : Pour it steaming into a stoneware cup, a thin slice of ginger floating on top: a comforting, caffeine-free alternative to tea for long working evenings.
He Zehui · Charactorium