Mulberry Sour Jujube Seed Tea

Why people make this tea

City life tends to run on nervous energy. Deadlines, noise, and the relentless pace of modern schedules leave many people in a state that Chinese medicine has long described as “nervous weakness” (shen jing shuai ruo): a feeling of running on empty even after a full night’s sleep, difficulty concentrating, emotional volatility, a tendency to startle, and restless or dream-filled nights. Bro Niu offers this simple, two-ingredient tea as a gentle everyday remedy. Both mulberries and dry-fried sour jujube seeds have been used for centuries to nourish the liver and heart, calm the mind, and ease the kind of exhaustion that comes not from physical exertion but from too much thinking and too little stillness. The brown sugar makes it slightly warming — helpful for those who run cool.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People who feel mentally drained, find it hard to concentrate, are easily irritated, or have light, dream-heavy sleep
• Those who are sensitive to richer tonic soups — this tea is lighter and easy on the digestion
• Suitable for people with a cold constitution, as the brown sugar adds gentle warmth
• People with diabetes can substitute brown sugar with stevia leaves (tian ju ye)
• Pregnant women should not use sour jujube seeds (suan zao ren)
• Drink 2–3 times per week rather than daily; best taken two hours before bedtime

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Mulberries (sang shen zi): In traditional Chinese food therapy, mulberries are associated with nourishing the liver and kidneys, supplementing blood, and calming the spirit. They are rich in anthocyanins and are considered mildly sweet in nature.
• Dry-fried sour jujube seeds (chao suan zao ren, Ziziphus spinosa): One of the most widely used calming herbs in Chinese medicine, traditionally associated with nourishing the heart and liver, relieving anxiety and irritability, and supporting the ability to fall and stay asleep. Dry-frying the seeds is said to enhance their sedative qualities and make the active compounds more easily released during infusion.
• Brown sugar (hong tang): Adds warmth to the formula, making it more accessible for those with a cooler constitution. Can be replaced with stevia for diabetics.

Ingredients (1 serving)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried mulberries (sang shen zi)	2 tablespoons
Dry-fried sour jujube seeds (chao suan zao ren)	1 tablespoon	Pre-roasted; purchase ready-made from Chinese herb shops
Brown sugar / raw cane sugar	a little, to taste	Diabetics may use stevia leaf
Boiling water	enough to fill your teapot or cup

Method

1. Place the mulberries and sour jujube seeds into a teapot or heat-safe cup.
2. Pour a small amount of boiling water over them and swirl briefly, then discard this rinse water.
3. Add boiling water again along with the brown sugar.
4. Cover and steep for 15 minutes.
5. Drink warm. The tea can be re-steeped until the flavour fades.
6. Best enjoyed two hours before bedtime.

Bro Niu’s tips

Drink this tea 3–4 times per week, not necessarily every day. If you have fresh mulberries available, use about 1 liang (~38 g) instead of the dried form. The dried version is more concentrated, so the tablespoon measure is sufficient. For those who run warm or have acne related to hormonal imbalance, this tea can still be used — the brown sugar adds only a small amount of warmth. Diabetics should swap the sugar for stevia leaves, which have a natural sweetness and are themselves traditionally associated with blood sugar support.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Peggy): Can fresh mulberries be used instead? Same amount? Can teenagers with stress-related acne drink this? Bro Niu: Use about 1 liang (38 g) of fresh mulberries in place of dried. Acne caused by hormonal imbalance or stress can benefit from this tea.

• Q (Kitty): I tend to run cold and can’t take too many tonic foods — can I drink this? Bro Niu: Yes — the brown sugar in this tea makes it more warming and accessible for those with a cold constitution or who find tonic foods too heating.

• Q (chingching131): Can pregnant women drink this? Bro Niu: Pregnant women should not use sour jujube seeds (suan zao ren).

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Published August 6, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.