Three Jujube Tea (San Zao Cha)

Why people make this tea

Some children seem to catch every cold going around, and once they start coughing, it lingers for weeks. Parents know how frustrating it can be when a child refuses bitter herbal teas. This three-jujube tea solves that problem: it tastes naturally sweet and mild, making it far easier to get children to actually drink it. In traditional Cantonese food therapy, all three varieties of jujube are believed to have anti-allergic properties and a nourishing effect on the blood, which is why this combination has been used for generations to support children with sensitive airways and recurring coughs.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Well-suited for children with sensitive airways who cough frequently but have no acute fever or heavy phlegm
• Children with a generally weak constitution who need gentle, warming nourishment
• Adults can drink it too; women may take it every other day as a blood-nourishing tonic
• Those with heavy dampness (phlegm, bloating, sluggish digestion) should drink it sparingly
• Do not use this tea during an active cough with thick phlegm — address the acute illness first; this is a between-episodes tonic

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Red jujube (hong zao): The workhorse of Cantonese tonic cooking — traditionally associated with nourishing the blood, calming the spirit, and supporting the spleen and stomach
• Nanzao (nan zao): A drier, more concentrated form of Chinese date; considered slightly less warming than red jujubes and traditionally used to supplement qi and blood without being too heating
• Candied honey jujube (mi zao): Adds natural sweetness and is traditionally regarded as soothing for the throat and lungs; makes the tea palatable for children who resist herbal preparations

Ingredients (1–2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Red jujubes (hong zao)	6 pieces	Slice and remove pits before cooking
Nanzao (nan zao)	2 pieces	Slice before cooking
Candied honey jujube (mi zao)	1 piece	Cut in half before cooking
Water	3 cups (about 750 ml)	Simmered down to roughly 1 cup

Method

1. Slice the red jujubes and remove the pits. Slice the nanzao. Cut the honey jujube in half.
2. Place all three jujubes into a small pot with 3 cups of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the liquid reduces to roughly 1 cup.
4. Strain and serve warm. Children may drink it as is; it needs no added sugar.

Bro Niu’s tips

Slicing all three jujubes before simmering allows their sweetness and nutrients to infuse more fully into the tea — do not skip this step. Beyond its respiratory-support role, this tea also has a gentle blood-nourishing effect, and regular drinkers often notice a healthier complexion over time. For busy parents or office workers, you can place the sliced jujubes in a vacuum flask and pour boiling water over them to steep — it works as a convenient thermos brew. Children may drink 2 servings per week as a regular tonic.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (reader): My daughter is six years old. After a cold she has been coughing on and off, and her TCM doctor says it is airway sensitivity. She also tends to cough more after eating apples. She coughs day and night. Would this tea be suitable? Bro Niu: For airway sensitivity, you can try simmering 1 carrot (thinly sliced) with 10 pitted red jujubes in 5 cups of water, reduced to 2 cups. Give her this over the course of a day, for 3 to 4 days in a row. This simple preparation is very gentle and suitable for children with sensitive airways.

• Q (reader, about constitution): Is this three-jujube tea cooling or warming in nature? Can people with a cold constitution, a hot constitution, or heavy dampness drink it? Can ladies drink it at the office every day? Bro Niu: Three-jujube tea is quite neutral and balanced — both cold and hot constitutions can drink it. Those with heavy dampness should keep the amount modest. Ladies may take it every other day. Children can have it twice a week.

• Q (ting t): My son is 7 years old. He has a persistent dry cough. This three-jujube tea — would it help? Bro Niu: Three-jujube tea is on the warming, nourishing side, so it is not the best match for a dry cough. For a dry cough, try steeping a quarter of a luo han guo (monk fruit) and 3 sliced dried figs in boiling water to make a tea. Alternatively, a soup with yu zhu (Solomon’s seal), apple, and snow pear works well for soothing dry coughs.

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Published October 24, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.