Three-Jujube Wheat Rice Tea (San Zao Mai Mi Cha)

Why people make this tea

Urban life — long hours, blue light, disrupted sleep, constant low-grade stress — has a visible effect on the face: a dull, yellowish complexion, uneven skin tone, or stubborn spots. Traditional Chinese medicine sees this as a reflection of sluggish qi and blood flow. The remedy is not just topical but internal: move the blood, nourish the liver, calm the mind. Bro Niu recommends hawthorn tea to help move stagnant blood, and various flower teas (rose, silktree albizzia) to smooth out emotional tension. But for a gentle, daily nourishing tea that addresses the root cause — insufficient blood and disrupted spirit — this three-date and wheat rice blend is hard to beat. The old saying goes: “Eat three dates a day and youth will never fade” and “Grain with great dates outperforms lingzhi mushroom.” This tea takes that folk wisdom and turns it into a simple, delicious daily ritual.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits adults looking to support a brighter complexion, calmer mood, and better sleep
• Safe for regular long-term consumption
• Not suitable for those with a heavy, damp constitution; phlegm-heat cough; or diabetes (substitute regular honey date and nan zao with medjool dates)
• Breastfeeding mothers: replace wheat berries with roasted brown rice — wheat can reduce milk supply
• For diabetics: use medjool dates (coconut dates / ye zao) instead of honey dates and nan zao; medjool dates are naturally sweet but have a lower glycaemic impact

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Red dates (hong zao): The foundational blood-tonifying fruit of Chinese food therapy; rich in vitamin C and antioxidants; traditionally associated with nourishing blood, calming the spirit, supporting digestion, and reducing inflammation
• Southern dates / nan zao: A premium grade of Chinese date; darker and less sweet than red dates; more targeted for blood nourishment and heart-spirit calming; stored refrigerated to preserve quality
• Honey date (mi zao): A processed sweet date used to add flavour and mild sweetness; also has moistening properties — substitute with medjool dates for better glycaemic management
• Roasted wheat berries (chao xiao mai mi): Toasting the wheat develops a warm, nutty flavour; traditionally associated with nourishing the heart, calming restlessness, supporting the kidneys and spleen, and clearing heat-related thirst; also has the traditional property of “scraping oil” from the intestines

Ingredients (2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Red dates	6 pieces	Pit and slice into pieces
Southern dates (nan zao)	2 pieces	Rinse; these are harder to find — see tips
Honey date (mi zao)	1 piece	Rinse
Roasted wheat berries	2 tablespoons	Dry-toast in a clean pan for about 7 minutes until fragrant; store and use as needed

Method

1. Pit the red dates and slice them. Rinse the southern dates and honey date.
2. Place all three dates and the roasted wheat berries in a small pot with 4 bowls (about 1 litre) of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, until reduced to about 2 cups.
4. Pour and drink warm. The dates can be eaten if desired.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is fragrant and naturally sweet — pleasant enough to drink daily without needing any added sweetener. Southern dates (nan zao) are a premium ingredient worth seeking out: look for them in the refrigerated section of Chinese herb shops or well-stocked Asian grocery stores. Genuine nan zao is noticeably different from ordinary black dates or cheap ma ya zao (horse-tooth dates), which have very different therapeutic properties, and is well worth the extra cost for regular use. For anyone with dampness or phlegm, consider clearing that first with poria (fu ling), white atractylodes (bai zhu), and hyacinth bean coat (bian dou yi) before adding this nourishing tea to your routine.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Liza Yeung): Can I replace the honey date in this recipe with medjool dates? Bro Niu: Yes, medjool dates are a fine substitute — they are naturally sweet and more suitable for those watching their blood sugar.

• Q (Joyce / Mimi): Can diabetics eat southern dates (nan zao)? Bro Niu: Nan zao is relatively high in sugar, so use less of it. Medjool dates are a better option for diabetics — they are naturally sweet but come from natural fruit sugars with a gentler effect on blood glucose.

• Q (Janet): I had a caesarean section and would like to use wheat rice tea with brown sugar to stop lactation. What is the method? Bro Niu: For stopping lactation, use roasted malt (chao mai ya) — 40 g is more effective for this purpose than plain wheat rice. Simmer with a little brown sugar in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls; take for 3 consecutive servings. Motherswort (yi mu cao) with brown sugar water can help clear lochia and is safe to take from when you get home from hospital.

---

Published August 12, 2020 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.