Chinese Ginger Jujube Tea with Goji Berries
A warming, gently sweet Chinese herbal tea made by simmering dried red dates (jujubes) with fresh ginger, brown sugar and goji berries. Fragrant, soothing and caffeine-free, it's ideal for cold days or a quiet evening.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (950 ml), 4 servings
Steps
Before you start
- Use dried Chinese red dates (hong zao), not fresh jujubes or Medjool dates; they are sold in Asian groceries.
- Total time is about 50 minutes, mostly unattended simmering.
- Ginger is sliced, not grated, so the tea stays clear and is easy to strain.
- Pregnant or on medication? Check with your doctor before drinking herbal teas regularly.
Rinse the dates
- Place the red dates in a bowl of cool water and rub them gently with your fingers for 30 seconds to remove dust.
- Drain.
- Use a small knife to cut one lengthwise slit in each date, cutting through the skin to the pit without cutting the date in half.
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Ready when: Each date has a clean slit and no visible dust or grit in the rinse water.
Tip: Slitting lets the date's sweetness and color release into the water much faster.
Slice the ginger
- Scrub the ginger well but leave the skin on, since it adds flavor.
- Slice crosswise into ⅛-inch (3 mm) coins, giving about 12 to 15 slices.
- Lightly smash each slice with the flat side of the knife to open it up.
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Ready when: Slices are even in thickness and slightly bruised.
Tip: Thicker slices take longer to flavor the tea and can make it uneven.
Combine and boil
- Add the dates, ginger and 5 cups (1180 ml) water to the saucepan.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, about 6 minutes.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break steadily across the surface.
Simmer gently
- Reduce heat to low, keep the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- The liquid will reduce to about 4 cups (950 ml) and turn pale amber, and the dates will plump and soften.
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Ready when: Tea is amber, smells of ginger and caramel-like dates, and dates are plump and soft when pressed.
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil makes the ginger taste harsh and boils off too much water.
Add sugar and goji
- Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, then add the rinsed goji berries.
- Simmer 5 more minutes on low.
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Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and goji berries are plump and bright red-orange.
Tip: Goji berries added early turn mushy and bitter, so add them at the end.
Rest and serve
- Turn off the heat and let the tea steep, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Taste and add another teaspoon of brown sugar if you want it sweeter.
- Ladle into mugs through a strainer, or leave a few dates and goji berries in each mug to eat.
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Ready when: Tea is fragrant, lightly sweet and comfortably hot to sip.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the red dates in the cup and eat them; they're soft, sweet and chewy.
- For stronger ginger flavor, use 3 oz (85 g) ginger rather than simmering longer.
- Don't skip rinsing the dates; dried dates often carry dust.
- Use a non-reactive pot such as stainless steel or enamel-coated for the cleanest flavor.
Make ahead
Simmer the tea through step 5, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in a covered container. Freezer: up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming, or microwave in 60-second bursts.
Substitutions
- Chinese slab brown sugar or dark brown sugar → Rock sugar or honey. Use 3 tablespoons rock sugar; if using honey, stir in 2 tablespoons after the tea has cooled slightly so it doesn't lose its aroma.
- dried goji berries → Dried longan. Use about 8 pieces for a more fragrant, slightly smoky sweetness; add with the sugar.
- dried Chinese red dates (jujubes) → Pitted dried red dates. They infuse faster; reduce the main simmer to 20 minutes.
- fresh ginger → Ground ginger. Use ½ teaspoon, though the flavor will be less bright and the tea slightly cloudy.