Ingredient Name: Blue Dates
Traditional Chinese Name: 藍枣 (lán zǎo)
What is this?
- A long, round, wrinkled, dark coloured, seeded fruit (in its mature state) produced by the Ziziphus zizyphus trees
- Commonly found in Asia, some parts of Europe and India
- In Chinese cuisine, it can be found in both salty and sweet dishes, in soups, as dried snacks and in teas
- Blue dates are more expensive than that of their red cousins
- For drinks, the seeds can be kept as well (as it is recommended to remove the seeds from red dates)
How do I prepare it?
- Rinse in cold water before usage
- Add directly to soups (in cold water) or drinks
Where can I buy this?
- You can purchase blue dates from most Asian supermarkets prepackaged
- You can also purchase this in bulk from speciality stores
What is the cost?
- A packge of around 30 dates cost $30 HKD
- There are varying prices of blue dates depending on its rarity and quality
Any benefits?
- Dates are known to assist in maintaining healthy blood pressure and assist the stomach and spleen in poor appetites
- It is also commonly used to address stress in drinks and teas
- Due to its sweetness, it is soothing to the throat and used to treat sore throats
- Dates are an excellent source of Vitamin C
- It is a neutral fruit
Any precautions?
- Be sure you are buying dates from a reputable source as some dates do carry diseases
Additional Information?
- Blue dates can normally be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for at least 6 months
Resources
I found some blue dates but the colours are not dark, $18/lb, are they good?
Dear Sri, this is hard to say without seeing them. They should be quite dark (almost a blue black in colour). Hope this helps! Lisa
Thank you so much sister for your reply, sorry could we use black date to replace the blue date for soup?
Thanks