Chinese Red Dates.

I gave Erik a couple books about Tea for Christmas to aid in his becoming a Kung Fu Tea Master (which is a real thing turns out). At the back of one of the books there is a list of tea recipes for all sorts of ailments and I am so excited to try them out! I have been trying to cultivate a small inventory of my own inventions, mostly herbal, to start selling on the web. Today I'm trying the dried Chinese Red Dates also sweetly known as the Jujube.
I did a little additional research on the medicinal benefits of Chinese Red Dates and here's what I discovered: these little miracles invigorate the spleen and stomach qi, aid in weight gain and appetite, increase stamina, strengthen liver function, they're rich in vitamin C, B12 and protein, and most importantly, across the board, nourish the blood and calm the mind (aka "women's hysteria"). These little sweet red shriveled dumplings help with paleness due to deficiency of blood including loss of; so if you just finished your period, had a baby, or any type of surgery, this is the tea for you! Jujubes also help teenagers fall in love.
The recipe in the book calls for: the dates, tea of your choice, and some sugar. I replaced the sugar with honey, used Rooibos for the tea and I am enjoying my first cup. I do, however, want to try them just on their own to get to know their taste solo. So far I can tell they are sweet and woody, like a honeyed earthy raisin. They taste exactly as you would imagine, they taste as they look: tiny, red, shiny and poppable.
I've been keen on trying to come up with my own women's tea and since this is such a big one when it comes to nourishing the blood and lack there of, my next mixture will be with Raspberry Leaf! I'm so excited!