Ah! The sweet crunchy crunchy of little fruit, bursting with juices and sugars. This is definitely not your traditional Chinese soup ingredient, but I walked by a vendor this morning who insisted I try them with soup! She knows I’m always on the look out for new and interesting ingredients, so she suggested this sweetish, fruity soup paired with pork shank for the family. I’d never thought to use fresh dates, but this is a unique find indeed! The seeds are not easy to extract, so I kept them in. They aren’t are fiery as their processed cousins, the dried red dates, because of how they are processed. And, you can eat them raw! If you happen to chance across this during your shopping, try them! A great pairing with the snow pear!
What is it?
A small, round, red, seeded fruit (in its mature state) produced by date palm tree
When eaten raw, it’s got a sweet almost apple like taste with a crunchy texture
Commonly found in Asia, some parts of Europe and India
In Chinese cuisine, the dried dates can be found in both salty and sweet dishes, in soups, as dried snacks and in teas
Fresh dates aren’t so common in soups and are quite seasonal, so be sure to check availability
How do I prepare it?
Rinse and wash under cold water before usage to remove dirt and grim
You can remove the seeds similar to apples, but you can also slice (as shown) and use in soups
You don’t need to peel the skin, they can be eaten with the fruit
Suggest to cut and slice only if you’re going to use them, else you can keep them in the fridge for a week (similar to apples!)
Where can I buy it and cost?
You can purchase fresh dates from any supermarket or your local wet mart
They are seasonal fruits and usually available in late September
What is the cost?
Fresh dates cost around $12 HKD for a pack of 8-10, this will vary on season and vendor
Any benefits?
Red 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
Red dates are an excellent source of Vitamin C (and also packed with great antioxidants that help kill free radicals which increase aging)
A common ingredient found for Chinese confinements
Dates are high in fiber, helping with digestion and constipation
They are also known to help blood sugar control
Any precautions?
Be sure you are buying red dates from a reputable source as some red dates do carry diseases
For soups, use pitted dried dates. The seeds are known to create “fire” in the body and not usually ideal
Looking to build your basic Chinese Soup Pantry?
The dried red dates is one of them! Check it out in my video to learn more!
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This soup is an easy and sweet soup that is perfect to warm you up on a chilly autumn or winter’s day. Chicken is considered to be very nourishing (補) and can give your body a good kick of healthy heartiness (this is similarly recognized by Westerners who drink chicken noodle soup when sick). To sweeten the soup, red dates are added. We also suggest adding a palmful of wolfberries to boost the qi or “chi” which is ideal for cool weather. Carrots round out this simple yet delicious soup. You can see from the photo that this recipe results in a rich, deeply-colored broth and I can assure you, it’s tasty, too! (Yes, I’m drinking as I type this post.) Depending on whether you use a fresh, whole chicken or alternatives, the difficulty of creating this soup can vary from 1-star (from pre-washed and cut chicken with minimal preparation) to 4-star (whole chicken from scratch).
Amount serves: 6 to 8 soup bowls
What Ingredients are required?
1 fresh whole chicken, quartered 5 large, dried red dates (to taste depending on how sweet you like your soup to be) 10 g of dried wolfberries (small palm-ful) 2 large fresh carrots, sliced 2L of water
How do I prepare it?
Prepare the chicken
Wash and soak the dried wolfberries
Add red dates to your soup water and bring to a boil
When the water boils, combine all the ingredients together
Boil on medium-high for at least 1 hour
Any benefits?
A warm soup that is perfect for autumn or winter
Chicken is very nourishing (補) and creates a healthful soup
Red dates are an excellent source of Vitamin C
Red dates are also used in throat-soothing drinks
Wolfberries are high in antioxidants and contain 6 essential vitamins, Beta-Carotene, Calcium, Potassium, Iron and Zinc
Wolfberries are also known to enhance the qi or “chi” in your body
Any tips or precautions?
Whenever using real, whole chicken, it’s useful to have an oil scooper on hand to help scoop out the fat and any large or small particles that float to the top of your soup. I usually need to use the scoop two or three times — once after the soup is fully boiled and still hot and there is an abundance of oil floating on the top, then once again after the soup has cooled slightly and you have additional oil and particles that have had time to float to the surface, and usually once again upon re-heating (possibly the next day).
Feel free to drink the same soup the next day after re-boiling. I like to make an extra big pot and any that isn’t finished can be drank and finished off the next day.
