Mulberry & Toasted Sour Jujube Seed Tea

Why people make this tea

The combination behind this tea is simple: toasted sour jujube seeds, long prized for calming the mind and anchoring restless sleep, paired with dried mulberries for their blood-nourishing, kidney-supporting reputation. The result is a tea that is tangy, lightly sweet, and genuinely pleasant to drink — nothing like a bitter herbal remedy. Bro Niu has brewed it for audiences at food-therapy talks to consistently warm reception. It suits anyone who finds their mind racing at bedtime, wakes easily in the night, or notices they sweat more than expected for no particular reason.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits most people; especially beneficial for those who are restless, forgetful, blood-deficient, prone to excessive perspiration, or constipated
• Suitable for young and old alike; the tea is appealing and mild
• Pregnant women should not use sour jujube seeds (suan zao ren); substitute 4 southern jujubes (nan zao) instead
• Mulberries are slightly cooling in nature; pairing them with longan flesh (gui yuan rou) balances the temperature and doubles the blood-nourishing effect

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Toasted sour jujube seeds (chao suan zao ren): One of the most important calming herbs in Chinese medicine; considered heart- and liver-nourishing, with a specific reputation for anchoring the mind and reducing spontaneous or night sweating.
• Dried mulberries (sang shen zi): Nourish the blood and yin, benefit liver and kidney; slightly cooling, which makes them a useful complement to the warmer sour jujube seeds.
• Raw cane sugar (chi sha tang): Unrefined cane sugar; used in small amounts for flavour. Bro Niu notes that white sugar is bleached and best used minimally.

Ingredients (1–2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Toasted sour jujube seeds (chao suan zao ren)	1 tablespoon (~8 g)	Available at Chinese herb shops
Dried mulberries (sang shen zi)	1 tablespoon (~10 g)	Available at Chinese herb shops or specialty stores
Raw cane sugar	A small pinch	Optional; omit for children under 1 year
Boiling water	1–2 cups	~250–400 ml

Method

1. Place the toasted sour jujube seeds and dried mulberries in a small teapot or heatproof cup.
2. Pour boiling water over the ingredients to rinse once; discard this first rinse.
3. Pour in fresh boiling water and add the sugar.
4. Steep for 10 minutes.
5. Drink the tea warm. You can also eat the softened mulberries.

Bro Niu’s tips

• This tea has a lively, appetising sour-sweet flavour — it genuinely tastes good, not medicinal.
• Pregnant women: replace the sour jujube seeds with 4 southern jujubes (nan zao) for a gentler alternative.
• To enhance blood-nourishing effects: combine dried mulberries with longan flesh (gui yuan rou). The longan is warming and the mulberries are cooling — the two balance each other beautifully, and the combination is excellent for those who are blood-deficient and feel cold easily.
• Regular drinking is associated with supporting eye clarity and nourishing the complexion.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Maggie): Can mulberries and longan flesh be combined, and how should they be taken? Bro Niu: Yes — brew them together as a tea and eat the ingredients afterwards. Eating them directly is too sweet.

• Q (Susanna): Is this tea suitable for all constitutions? What is “raw cane sugar”? Bro Niu: Mulberries are slightly cooling and sour jujube seeds are neutral — most constitutions can drink this tea. Raw cane sugar (chi sha tang) refers to the reddish unrefined cane sugar such as Taikoo raw sugar; white granulated sugar is bleached and better used sparingly.

• Q (anonymous): Can this tea be given to a 1-year-old baby? Bro Niu: Yes, but do not add any sugar for a 1-year-old.

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Published February 28, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.