Parts Most Frequently Used: Fruit

Flavors/Temps: Sweet, Neutral

Caution: Edible. Very safe.

History/Folklore: They are fresh in the autumn, when they are crisp and green as apples. As they dry they become red and sweet. Their high nutritional content makes them excellent for treating people recovering from illness. Red dates are especially prized by women for their beauty and health effects. As they are very nourishing to the blood they are often eaten by women during their menses and after giving birth. Jujubes are considered and “elixir of life.” A common slogan on supermarket packages of jujubes in China is, “Three red dates a day keep you young forever.” Good quality red jujubes are thick, full and have very small, if any, pits.

It is said to purify the twelve Organ meridians, especially the Stomach, which is the body’s “center” and represents the Earth Element in the Five Phase System. Red jujubes are also said to “clarify the nine openings” including the eyes, ears, sinuses, nose, throat, bowels and urinary tract. They have a long history of being considered excellent at building strength and extending life. In China they are considered able to tonify the Heart, Lung and Stomach functions. They are also said to dry up mucous while simultaneously moistening the tissues.

It is often used in Chinese herbalism as a Yin counterpart to strong Yang herbs such as Ginseng. Because the herb is good at removing obstructions to the free of flow of Qi it can help prevent Yang herbs from building up and blocking Qi. Consuming too much ginseng can cause shoulder pain or headaches, by adding red jujubes, this “side-effect” of excess ginseng is minimized while simultaneously gaining the benefits that red jujubes have to offer as a tonic herb.