Published: · Modified: by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.
7 easy-to-make but delicious dried jujube fruit recipes (also known as Chinese red date recipes), including soups, drinks and desserts.
Jump to:
- What are Jujubes?
- Health Benefits
- Where to Buy
- FAQ
- Other Traditional Chinese recipes
- Savory soups
- Drinks
- Desserts
- 💬 Comments
What are Jujubes?
Jujubes or Chinese red dates, also known as Ziziphus jujuba(scientific name) and hong zao, belong to theRhamnaceaebuckthornfamily.
They are a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredient that is also commonly used in Chinese and Korean cooking, and can be eaten fresh or dried.
Most Asian families will have a store of dried Chinese red dates in their pantry to cook with, as they can last for quite some time in this form. (As dried jujubes are more common, the recipes here all use them instead of fresh.)
Note: Jujube is not to be confused with jojoba, which is entirely different!
Health Benefits
Jujube fruits have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, but more research is still needed. What we do know at the moment is that:
- Jujubes have "anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-hyperglycemic, immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, sedative, and antiviral functions."
- Jujubes have a lot of anti-oxidants, such as flavonoids. These help to delay or prevent cell damage from free radicals.
- These antioxidants may even help one sleep better!
- Thanks to its high fibre content, jujube can aid digestion and constipation.
- It is rich in Vitamin C, and may thus help your immune system.
Where to Buy
In Asia, you can get them at most major supermarkets.
Outside of Asia, you will need to buy jujubes online, at a Chinese medicine hall or at an Asia grocery store.
FAQ
Do I need to remove the seed of the jujube fruit (Chinese red date) before cooking?
Chinese people have traditionally removed the seed before cooking jujubes, as they believe that the seed makes the dish heatier (i.e. you will be prone to getting sore throats, fevers or acne if you eat too much). However, it is possible to cook with the whole fruit (i.e. seed inside)- just remember to remove the seed before you eat the fruit.
Other Traditional Chinese recipes
- Easy Chinese Canned Abalone Porridge
- 19 Goji Berry Recipes for 2024 (Wolfberries)
- Asian Sea Coconut dessert with longan soup
- Easy Black Sesame Soup Dessert
Savory soups
Dried jujubes, as well as goji berries, are often added to Cantonese soups as a natural sweetener and for their health benefits, which I've described in this jujube tea post. It is also used in other Asian recipes, such as the famous Korean ginseng chicken soup.
Easy Chinese Black Chicken Soup (Silkie Chicken)
This easy Chinese Black Chicken Soup, also known as Silkie Chicken, is a traditional Chinese soup recipe that is delicious, nutritious AND only calls for 5 ingredients! I've made this Black Chicken soup recipe non-herbal, as many younger Asians find it hard to accept the strong flavours of herbal soup, but it's still very good for you!
Check out this traditional Chinese soup.
Besides this black chicken soup, you can add a couple of red dates to most soups or even rice porridge that you make- simply wash them, then remove the seed and either slice them up, or make a few gashes in the flesh to increase the surface area when cooking so that the flavour can better permeate the soup.
Chinese Chicken Feet Soup with Peanuts
This Chinese Chicken Feet Soup with Peanuts recipe is easy, thick, deliciously savory and rich in collagen. 15 minutes of prep followed by passive cooking then, Hello, younger-looking skin!
Click here for the Peanut Chicken Feet Soup recipe!
Vietnamese jujube chicken soup
This Herbal Red Date Chicken Soup by Delightful Plate can warm and heal your body. It will provide you with energy to fight off illnesses in colder months.
Drinks
Chinese red date tea is a healthy and warming tea with no caffeine. For more traditional Asian teas without caffeine, you can try:
- Korean boricha tea
- Chinese sour plum tea
- Chinese osmanthus tea
- Chinese wolfberry tea
- Lemongrass tea
Chinese jujube tea with ginger (Red date tea)
A traditional Chinese and Korean drink which is sweet and nourishing.
Click here for an easy jujube tea (daechu-cha) recipe.
Longan Tea with Red Dates
This Ginger Red date Longan Tea recipe with Goji Berries is a nourishing, traditional Chinese tea. It contains no caffeine and warms you right up on a cold day!
Click here for this longan red date tea recipe.
For other Chinese New Year recipes, click here.
Desserts
Goji berry & jujube jelly
A red jelly made with Chinese red dates (jujube), goji berries, longan, and pandan leaves by Daily Cooking Quest. Use agar powder or konnyaku jelly powder to make this vegan friendly and gluten-free dessert. (If you can't get your hands on konnyaku, here are some goodagar agar alternatives.)
Sea Coconut dessert with longan sweet soup recipe
A Cooling Sea Coconut dessert with longan sweet soup, the perfect tong sui for hot days.
Try this Sea Coconut Asian dessert!
Which is your favourite out of all these Chinese dried jujube fruit recipes?
I have other recipes you may like here! :)
- Yuzu Konnyaku Jelly (15 Min + Ingredient Intro)
- 11 Chinese Herbal Teas: Complete Guide
- Chinese Roast Chicken
- 17 Easy Canned Lychee Recipes
Reader Interactions
Comments
ray says
Have a whole bag in the freezer, will have to make some of these over the weekend
Reply
Zen says
Thanks Ray, let me know how you find them!
Reply
