Pickles and Tea Blog

I’ve consumed my fair share of herbal/curative/restorative soups and drinks.

My mom is an occasional believer of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and as a child I was subjected to hocus pocus potions sporadically.

Many were bitter, even revolting, concoctions prescribed for persistent coughs, colds, and other ailments Western doctors couldn’t seem to cure, or couldn’t cure fast enough for my mom’s liking. Most were made with herbs I can neither pronounce nor recall–ginseng, cordycepes, hawthorn fruit, mulberry leaf, who knows? All pushed the limits of my inadequate Chinese language capacities.

There are, however, a few herbal beverages that I actually enjoy drinking and to some extent, believe in their effectiveness.

One is my mom’s golden-hued, pandan leaf-spiked ginger tea. Spicy and potent, it clears congestion like Drano clears a clogged drain! A panacea for all ills, my dad calls it.

When my husband came down with bronchitis (again!) last week, I made him a big batch and he drank gallons of it.

Then, a few weeks ago, I chanced upon dried longans at the Asian market. It reminded me of longan “tea,” a tasty drink made by boiling the dried fruit in water until it turns a rich red-brown, like tea! I love the fresh fruit, and drinking this sweet and fragrant tea reminds me of it.

Believed to be a “heaty” fruit (or a “yang” food), longan is used in confinement foods. Apparently, some friends in Singapore were only allowed to drink longan tea—no water, no juice, no nothing—for a whole month post-pregnancy! Plus, longan is supposed to promote relaxation and help you sleep.

Dried longans go very well with Chinese red dates (also called jujubes) in a “tea.” According to TCM, red dates help replenish and nourish your blood, thus improving blood circulation. This can lead to better liver and digestive function, balance of inner body energy (qi) and improved immunity.

A brew of dried longans, red dates and goji berries (also called wolfberries) is also quite popular. Apparently, this combo helps to replenish vital energy and improve blood circulation, thus keeping the body warm. Great for the winter months!

As a modern woman, I deign to believe the folklore behind traditional herbs. Yet, there must be a reason TCM survives and is still going strong after all these centuries.

Whether there is any truth to TCM’s claims, all I know is that when it’s cold and chilly outside, a warm cup of longan and red date tea fortifies me, if not physically, then spiritually.

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Do you drink a traditional brew to keep you healthy during the winter months?

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Longan (龙眼 lóng yǎn) and Chinese Red Date Tea (红枣 hóng zǎo)

Both longans and Chinese red dates are naturally sweet, making them an excellent choice for a touch of sweetness in drinks, soups and other foods. You can also add ginger, goji berries, or pandan leaves to the mix for extra nourishment or flavor. Dried longans and Chinese red dates (jujubes) can be found at Asian markets. If you can’t find seedless red dates, remove the pits using a small paring knife. This, of course, doesn’t make any difference if you don’t intend to eat them.

1/4 cup dried longans
1/2 cup dried seedless Chinese red dates (jujubes)
6 cups water
2 tablespoons rock sugar chips (I found these at Teavana), Chinese rock sugar, or brown sugar

1. Rinse the longans and dates.
2. Combine the longans, dates and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. To serve, scoop some longans and dates into each cup and pour the liquid.