Let's talk about Dried Red Dates
Three thousand years of Chinese kitchens cannot be wrong.
This is the ingredient that does everything quietly — builds your Blood, calms your mind, strengthens your digestion, and makes every single soup taste better.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, red dates are classified as a superior herb — meaning safe for daily use, gentle for the whole family, and broadly beneficial for almost everyone. They are warm in nature, sweet in flavour, and they nourish the three organs that matter most for everyday wellbeing — your Spleen, Stomach, and Heart.
Think of them as the great harmoniser of the Chinese kitchen. They settle what is unsettled. They nourish what is depleted. They make every other ingredient in your soup work better.
From postpartum recovery to better sleep, from low energy to emotional stability — dried red dates address the quiet deficiencies that modern life creates in all of us.
This is not a trend. This is a staple. And once you understand what it does — you will never make a soup without it again.
How do I prepare it?
The only preparation needed for dried red dates is to rinse with warm water and to pit the seeds if needed. To remove the seeds from the fruit, I use a pair of clean scissors and just snip them away (see video of the Red Dates and Longan Chinese Herbal Tea for preparation of the red dates). You can buy them pitted or unpitted at your local Chinese supermarket or wet market.
It’s quite interesting to observe the varying firmness and hardness of these dried fruits. You’ll find red dates that are softer and squishier, so much easier to cut.
Where can I buy it?
- You can purchase red dates from most Asian supermarkets prepackaged
You can also purchase this in bulk from specialty stores (online herbal shops) - The one thing I did notice is that the Chinese prepared ones are different from Western prepared red dates. So just check to be sure they look like the above photos.
- My go to source is from SouperWell Online. She’s super reliable with stellar quality. You can also buy this online from Amazon.
What is the cost?
- A package costs around $3-5 CAD
- However, if you buy direct from the Chinese dried food stores, the prices will also range depending on the quality of the dried red dates and whether they are pitted or not, with pitted being more expensive.
- I have also bought this product from Amazon. They are already pitted and from a reliable source, using them in both soups and teas.
Any benefits?
- The ultimate everyday tonic food (safe for long-term daily use). The classical text Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing — the oldest Chinese pharmacopoeia — classifies Da Zao as a superior herb (上品 Shàng Pǐn) — meaning it is safe for long-term daily use, non-toxic, and broadly beneficial. This is the highest classification in the classical system.
- Strengthens Spleen and Stomach Qi
- Nourishes and generates Blood
- Nourishes Heart and Calms the mind (SHEN)
- Tonifies and Replenishes Qi
- Harmonizes other herbs and helps direct them
Any precautions?
Be sure you are buying red dates from a reputable source as some red dates do carry diseases
For soups, use pitted dates. The seeds are known to create “fire” in the body and not usually ideal
These red dates from Souperwell are pretty good as they are already pitted and ready to use for teas and soups!
I have also purchased these dried red dates from Amazon with success. They are a pretty common ingredient and commonly available!
0 Comments