Brown sugar ginger tea (红糖姜茶)
hong tang jiang cha (红糖姜茶)
The everyday drink of the confinement month: old ginger simmered with brown sugar and red dates into a warm, sweet tonic. Simple, warming and made in minutes.
If one drink runs through the whole confinement month, it is this. A pot of old ginger, red dates and brown sugar, simmered until the kitchen smells of it, poured out warm. It takes minutes and it replaces the cold water the tradition would rather you set aside.
Why this drink
Old ginger and brown sugar are both classed as warming, and brown sugar carries an old association with the early postpartum days, when it is thought to help the body clear and to lift flagging energy. Red dates add a blood nourishing sweetness. The result is less a recipe than a habit, a warm cup kept within reach through the day.
A first weeks drink
Worth knowing that the tradition tends to favour the brown sugar version early, through roughly the first week or two, and to lighten it afterwards. If you are watching sugar or find you run hot, keep the brown sugar modest and lean on the ginger and red dates instead.
For why warm drinks are preferred over cold, see should I avoid cold food and cold drinks.
The recipe
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 2 to 3 cups
Why this ingredient
Old ginger (老姜)
Old ginger is the workhorse of confinement warmth, said in the tradition to warm the middle and disperse cold. A simple simmered ginger drink is one of the oldest ways of taking it, and it doubles as a warm alternative to the cold and iced drinks the tradition steers away from during the month.
Why this ingredient
Brown sugar (红糖)
Unrefined brown sugar, ideally the dark Chinese slab kind, is classed as warming and has long been associated in the tradition with the early postpartum days, when it is thought to support the body in clearing and to lift energy. It is usually favoured in the first week or two rather than throughout, which is why families tend to sweeten with less of it as the month goes on.
Ingredients
- 40 g old ginger, unpeeled, sliced or lightly crushed Old ginger for real warmth. Crushing it slightly opens it up so it gives more to the water.
- 4 red dates (jujubes), pitted and torn Tearing them exposes the flesh so their sweetness comes out. Considered blood nourishing.
- 30 to 40 g brown sugar or Chinese brown sugar slabs The traditional sweetener here, classed as warming. Adjust to taste.
- 600 ml water Enough for two or three cups; simmering reduces it a little.
- 1 teaspoon goji berries (optional) Added near the end for colour and a little extra sweetness.
Method
- 1 Put the ginger, torn red dates and water in a small pot and bring to the boil.
- 2 Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until the water is golden and smells strongly of ginger.
- 3 Add the brown sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Add the goji berries, if using, and simmer for a final minute.
- 4 Strain into cups, or ladle it out leaving the ginger behind, and drink warm.
Notes and substitutions
- Make a larger batch and keep it in the fridge, then reheat a cup at a time. It should always be drunk warm.
- For a stronger tonic, add a few slices of dang gui or a small handful of longan, though check the herbs suit you.
- Chinese brown sugar sold in slabs has a deeper, more caramel flavour than ordinary brown sugar and is the traditional choice.
Before you cook this
- Brown sugar is sweet and warming, and the tradition tends to favour it in the first week or two rather than for the whole month. Ease off it if you run hot or want to keep sugar moderate.
- Ginger is warming; some people find a strong ginger drink uncomfortable if they are prone to reflux, so keep it gentler if so.
Common questions
When should I drink brown sugar ginger tea?
It is most associated with the first week or two of the month, when the warming quality of ginger and brown sugar is considered most helpful. Many families ease off the brown sugar after the early days and keep to plainer ginger or red date drinks later on.
Is it safe while breastfeeding?
It is a simple warm drink of ginger, red dates and sugar, with no alcohol, so it fits easily alongside breastfeeding. As with anything sweet, moderation is sensible, and if you are managing blood sugar, keep the sugar light.
Can I use ordinary ginger and sugar?
You can, and it will still be a pleasant warm drink. Old ginger gives more warmth than young ginger, and dark Chinese brown sugar gives more depth than ordinary brown sugar, so the traditional versions are worth using if you have them.