Simple Homemade Goji Berries and Red Dates Tea

Recently, I wanted to add more nutritious ingredients into my life. So I have been brewing and drinking goji berries and red dates tea.

As a Chinese American, I have been eating goji berries and red dates all my life. My grandmother adds them into just about anything. In fact, for centuries the Chinese have been using these native fruits of Asia for their medical benefits.

Here are just a few of their health benefits:

Goji berries, "the most nutritionally dense food on Earth"

• rich in vitamin C
• high in fiber
• 15x more iron than spinach
• powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti fungal compounds
• boost immune system
• good for kidney
• protect liver
• help eyesight
• improve circulation
• lower bad cholesterol
• protect against heart disease
• wrinkle reduction
• improve sleep
• relieve stress
• promote longevity

Red dates, "labelled by the Chinese as 'the king of nuts'"

• high in fiber
• high in antioxidant
• strengthen skin elasticity
• 70x more vitamin C than apple
• rich in calcium
• prevent osteoporosis
• improve immunity
• lower cholesterol
• protect liver
• suppress cancer causing cells

Recently, these superfoods are becoming more popular in the western hemisphere. I notice there are more ready-to-eat goji berry products even in my local health food markets. The fact is, these fruits are easy to prepare and there are so many ways to incorporate them into your diet!

Imagine utilizing them in recipes as you would using raisins. Raisins could be used in both savory and sweet foods, such as stuffing and muffins. So can goji berries and red dates! You can eat them as dried snacks, blend them into smoothies, bake them into scones, or add them into soups. The possibilities are endless!

You should be able to find goji berries and red dates in your local health food stores, especially Asian markets. They are usually in dried form, packaged in sealed bags.

Goji berries and red dates tea recipe:

This recipe is super simple. Goji berries and red dates add a hint of sweet aroma and flavor. You just add however much amount of goji berries and red dates, depending on how light or strong you want the flavor to be. The taste is very mild. So you can substitute this to plain water. If you need to drink water, why not drink one that is infused with a bunch of goodness?

Here are the ingredients: water, tea kettle, red dates, goji berries

 Left: dried red dates, right: dried goji berries

 Add water to the kettle

 Add goji berries

 Add red dates

 Turn the heat up, bring the kettle to a boil. Then turn the heat off. Let the tea simmer in the kettle.

 This is what the tea looks like. Drink it hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Here are more information about goji berries and red dates:

Health Benefits of Goji Berries
Ways to Use Goji Berries
The Benefits of Red Dates
Dates Nutrition Facts

ENJOY!