January 20, 2007
Weekend Herb Blogging! - Red Dates
Weekend Herb Blogging this week is kindly hosted by RealEpicurean. This is my first time participating and I know I can learn a lot from these WHB food bloggers, especially since we are talking about the international scene here!
I’d like to start off with a brief introduction to what is “Yin” and “Yang” in Chinese cooking.
“Yin” and “Yang” describe two primal opposing but complementary forces found in all things in the universe. This philosophy is also used in the realm of Chinese food and cooking.
Yang foods are believed to increase the body’s heat (eg. raise the metabolism), while Yin foods are believed to decrease the body’s heat (eg. lower the metabolism).
In general, Yang foods (e.g. chili pepper, deep fried food, dried meat and lychee) tend to be dense in food energy, especially energy from fat, while Yin foods (e.g. watermelon, cantelope, honeydew and green tea) tend to have high water content.
Ideally, the Chinese recommend that you eat both types of food to keep the body in balance. A person eating too much Yang food might suffer from acne and bad breath while a person lacking Yang food might be lethargic or anemic.
Red Dates (紅棗), also known as Jujube or Chinese Dates are classified as a Yang food and can be used for replenishing blood and boosting energy (補血益氣).
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cooking, ginseng in chicken soup is a classic, while bird’s nest is traditionally served sweetened with rock sugar, and sometimes with Red Dates as well.
I use Red Dates as an ingredient in Chinese Soups. These red fellas sweeten up my soup and balance the savory taste of pork, which I often use as my soup base.
Examples of soups in which I have used Red Dates are Lotus Root Soup and Radish, Dried Cuttlefish and Spareribs Soup.
Red Dates Longan Drink
Red Dates can also be brewed with dried longans and sweetened with rock sugar to produce a sweet tea, believed to calm the mind, add a glow to the skin, and bring radiance to the eyes.
With all these benefits of Red Dates, isn’t it time to let this be one of the ingredients in your pantry?
Bite This!
More recipes:
Weekend Herb Blogging - Lemon Grass
Vung Tau Restaurant - Bánh Khot
Minced Pork With Tofu And Mushrooms
Chicken Recipe (6) - Dried Chicken Curry (Indonesian Style)
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January 20th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Great explanation about yin and yang. And your cuttlefish soup just reminded me about my mother’s soup…maybe I should use my new pressure cooker to make this slurpicious soup. :)
Thanks!
January 21st, 2007 at 12:48 am
You remind me of my mom. Always lecturing me about “hot” and “cold” foods when I was growing up. Back then, I was a yang guy all the way, which is probably why I’m a Chubbypanda. Nowadays, I like to balance the two.
January 21st, 2007 at 10:47 am
I’m loving all these educational posts for weekend herb blogging this time around! Yours is excellent!
January 21st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
RM - Can just cook in the same way as your Lotus Root Pork Rib Soup ya? No need pressure cooker.
Panda - Haha! Must be my maternal instincts working… reminding others of their moms!
Hi Scott, I learnt quite a bit from previous entries, that’s why I decided to participate too. Thanks for hosting this week’s WHB.
January 21st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Yet another to confuse me when I cook. See why it’s easier for me to make stuff from boxes? Ok, I make pizza. Not sure if it will be this week or next week.
January 21st, 2007 at 10:20 pm
But but but DADDY! You are supposed to buy pizza toppings and dough and make pizza with your kids! Not take the pizza out of the box and microwave it!?!?!
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:50 am
Great post i love your pictures and info on Yin and Yang. I have to make some of that soup.
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 am
Thank you for the informative explanation about yin and yang, very interssting. :)
I like your dish, I truly should give it a try!
January 22nd, 2007 at 10:09 am
My brother’s wife’s mother (does that make her my in-laws??) adds dried red dates to her soy sauce & mushroom pork stew. She gave me the recipe and I’ve tried it a few times. But mine never taste as good as hers. :-(
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Weekend Herb Blogging #66 Roundup…
Wow! When I said I would be stealing (hosting) Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging for a week, I didn’t expect this many great entries!
I’m impressed to see so many fabulous recipes collected in one place. Of course, in tune with the topic,…
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
What a wonderful post for WHB! I’ve been to Hong Kong and Beijing and am very interested in Chinese cooking, but I don’t think I’ve had red dates. Love to try them.
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Astrid - thanks for visiting! Chinese soup is really easy to prepare. Do give it a go!
Ming - I dunno about the in-law terminology but hehe… you sure can find some excuse to pay her a visit!
Kaylyn - I am honored by your visit! Thanks for starting this WHB thinghy. It sure is meaningful and informative! Red dates can keep for a long time in the pantry and is used in Chinese soups. So try them!
January 26th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Thanks for these details. I’ve ever seen these dates in the asian stores, but never tried them. Your idea of soups is excellent.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:52 pm
This is not an opinion, but aquestion… Can you eat dry red dates without cooking? are they like regular Dates?
March 21st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Eh… I don’t think you can’t eat red dates without cooking cos they appear in the dried form, unlike the regular (brown) dates which is moist.
April 8th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
[…] Wolfberries (枸杞子 Gou Qi Zi in Mandarin) are also called “Fructus Lycii Wolfberries” or “Goji Berries”. They look like bright red raisins, don’t they? Wolfberries are considered a “yin” tonic, a cooling herb. (For a brief writeup on what is “yin” and “yang”, refer to here.) […]
November 16th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
where can i buy red jujubes the dried style
November 16th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Asian supermarket, dried goods aisle
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
[…] In Chinese, it is called Hong Zao (Red dates) and it is popular in Chinese dishes such as tonic soups and desserts. For traditional chinese medicine it is drink as a tonic for those who has a low count of red blood cell and to replenish energy. It add a glow to your face if you are pale looking. It must be drink over a period of time. To make into red date tea, first soak the dried fruits to remove dust and wait for the fruits to turn soft. Remove the seeds. In a pot of water, boil red dates and dried longans until the colours from the dried fruits desemminate into the water and add sugar into it. I generally like them in my lotus roots soup, tonic chicken soup and desserts such as cheng teng Red dates and receipes : http://www.simcooks.com/364/weekend-herb-blogging-red-dates/ […]