What Is Jujube Tea? Answered

Jujube tea is a classic herbal remedy with a 4,000-year history that promotes skin appearance, sleep habits, and bone health in many Asian countries. What is jujube tea? Let’s dig in.

Medicinal tea from unabi or jujube - What is Jujube tea
Jujube tea has a similar taste to apple

Jujube tea is a herbal tea common in many Asian countries, including China, Korea, and India. This tea is derived from jujube, a small stone fruit known as Chinese Dates or Korean Dates.

Making tea out of jujube is one of many different ways to enjoy its unique flavor and reap its potential health benefits. While jujube tea is still on the lesser-known side in many Western countries, it is specifically famous as a cold-busting drink in Asia with a similar taste to apple.

Let’s learn more about jujube tea.

What’s So Special About Jujube Tea?

Every time my dad goes to the market, he always looks for jujube fruit. My dad loves jujube so much he can lecture you about how interesting this fruit is. After so many years of eating the fruit alone, my dad and I decided to explore some other ways to turn it into a healthy drink. 

woman, drinking, coffee
Jujube tea has a punchy taste

When drinking jujube tea, the first thing you notice is the punchy taste. This nutrition-packed tea is our traditional remedy for good sleep, flawless skin, and reduced blood pressure and anxiety.

Benefits Of Jujube Tea 

  • Thanks to the bromelain enzyme found in the fruits, a cup of hot jujube tea on a chilly day may be the best resort to relieve cough and swelling.
  • According to a study, jujube fruits are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, phenols, and flavonoids that fight premature aging and reduce heart disease and cancer.
  • The saponins and alkaloids in jujube fruits may help eliminate harmful toxins in the blood and ultimately prevent blood-related diseases.
  • Jujube tea has a high concentration of minerals linked to bone strength, including manganese, copper, potassium, and magnesium. Frequent consumption of jujube tea may enhance bone’s resistance to potential fracture.
  • Drinking jujube tea in the morning or evening could boost the neuroprotective effects that relieve anxiety and insomnia.

Does Jujube Tea Have Caffeine?

No, jujube tea doesn’t contain caffeine. It’s one of my favorite caffeine-free drinks to accompany my Sunday get-together with the girls, especially if any of them has experienced anxiety and irregular heartbeat.

What Does Jujube Taste Like?

The flavor profile of jujube tea alone varies depending on its age. Young jujube fruits result in a juicy texture with a subtle reminiscence of apples. Ripe jujube fruits are a tad drier and sweeter.

Fresh Ziziphus jujuba fruits in bowl
Ripe jujube fruits are a tad drier and sweeter

Overall, jujube tea is a sweet, warming drink but nothing close to tooth-aching. In traditional Asian recipes, they will pair it with ginger, honey, and even cinnamon to create an earthy, mellow, and comforting cold-busting drink on a rainy day. A good cup of jujube tea will lend subtly sweet, gingery, and slightly spicy notes to your palate.

You might also be interested in our explainer on pine needle tea

How To Make Jujube Tea 

The best thing about jujube tea is that you can mix and match it with any kind of herb and fruit you have at home. In most Asian households, jujube tea cannot go without ginger and honey. The sweet flavor of jujube truly compliments the warmth of ginger.

Step 1: Soak The Fruit 

Soak one medium ginger and about 20 jujubes separately in water for about two hours. Peel off the ginger skin and finely chop into minced slices. Remove the jujube seeds and snip them into small bits.

Put the jujube slices and minced ginger into a bowl, mix them with two to three cups of honey until the mixture is fully coated.

You might also like to check out our guide on ginger tea

Step 2: Let It Soak

Let it sit in an air-tight jar for a day at room temperature before putting it into the refrigerator.

Step 3: Add Hot Water

Use two to three scoops of jujube mixture, add water, and bring to boil.

Step 4: Serve

Drain all the ingredients and drink the liquid.

I think the tea mix tastes better the longer it sits, and it can last up to a month in the fridge.

Author

  • Oanh Nguyen

    Born and raised by a traditional mama-barista, Oanh is a typical Viet coffee aficionado who would spend her entire precious Sunday showing you how to categorize coffee beans just by the looks and smells. She enjoys writing about everything drinks-related while sipping her favorite rosebud tea. Find Oanh on LinkedIn.