Red Bean, Red Date & Tangerine Peel Water

Why people make this drink

Red beans — small, earthy, and deeply nourishing — have been part of East Asian food culture for millennia. In Chinese food therapy they are considered an excellent food for women specifically: they are associated with blood nourishment, support healthy circulation (since red in the five-element framework corresponds to the heart), and act as a gentle diuretic that clears excess fluid without depleting the body. The combination with red dates deepens the blood-building quality; tangerine peel adds a digestive lift that prevents the drink from sitting heavily. Together they make a simple, affordable drink that many women prepare regularly throughout their period or during pregnancy.

One practical note for those thinking about weight management: if you cook the red beans just to the point where they are tender but the skins have not burst open, the starch remains contained inside. Drinking only the liquid (and setting aside the beans to eat separately) means you get the diuretic benefit without the caloric load of the starch. Once the skins burst, the starch dissolves into the liquid.

Method

1. Soak the red beans in cold water for 30 minutes; drain.
2. Pit the red dates; soak the tangerine peel until soft.
3. Combine red beans and tangerine peel in a pot along with the water they soaked in, making up to about 4 cups total.
4. Add the red dates.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
7. Drink warm. For weight management purposes, keep the beans just tender (skins intact) and drink only the liquid.

Nourilo’s Tips

For women who want the diuretic benefit without the added starch calories: do not cook the beans until the skins burst open. Stop at the point where the beans are cooked but the skins are still intact — drink only the liquid, and give the beans to family members to eat. Once the skins split, starch dissolves into the drink and the slimming benefit is lost. For anyone recovering from postpartum water retention, this drink can be taken for 7–10 days. Kidney disease patients should avoid this recipe due to the high potassium content of red beans.