red dates (jujubes)
红枣· hong zao
Taste & Role
Red dates are simmered whole in soups, congee, herbal tonics, and sweet dessert soups, where they lend gentle sweetness and body to the liquid. They are also steeped in teas, paired with goji berries in classic combinations, and chopped into steamed buns, rice cakes, and other sweets. Remove the hard pit before eating or blending.
What it is
Red dates, also called jujubes or Chinese dates, are the dried fruit of a tree native to China and have been used in Chinese cooking and traditional wellness practices for thousands of years. They are small, oval, and deep reddish-brown with wrinkled skin, chewy flesh, and a single hard pit in the center. Despite the name, they are unrelated to Medjool dates, though their sweetness is somewhat similar.
Substitutes
No registered substitutes — this one is usually easy to find.
Recipes using it
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