I've been meaning to make this ever since I came across it in Heng Ou's book The First Forty Days when I was pregnant with Astrid but have struggled to get my hands on red dates. Thankfully my lovely friend Shu came to the rescue and brought me a bag when we met up a few weeks ago along with a traditional Malaysian confinement cookbook to have a flick through.
Tea plays an important role in the traditional Chinese postnatal diet and this is one is a classic. According to the Confinement Cookbook, are date and goji berry tea helps digestion, promotes wellness and helps alleviate stress.
The red dates benefit the spleen and blood and help calm the nervous system. The goji berries (or wolf berries as they are also known) support healthy liver and kidney functions, boost your immune system and improve eyesight.
The batch I made was a mix and match between the recipes and quantities in both books.
- Bring six cups of water to a boil in a pan
- Add two cups of halved red dates to boiling water and reduce to a simmer
- After about half an hour, add half a cup of goji berries and simmer for another twenty minutes
- Remove from heat and strain liquid into jug
- I found it too sweet at this point and added more hot water until it was to my taste
- Keep it warm in a flask and drink throughout the day
