It’s such a waste to eat dried red dates! Steaming, boiling, and soaking have different magical effects

In winter, many people like to cook red dates into soup or soak them in water to drink, which can replenish qi and nourish the body. However, some people like to eat red dates dry. Why is winter a suitable season for eating red dates? You may not imagine that it is a bit of a waste to just eat red dates dry. In fact, after being cooked through different methods such as steaming, boiling, and soaking, they surprisingly have different magical effects!

Red dates are the "king of vitamin C in the fruit world"

Red dates are sweet and warm in nature. They are a food tonic with high nutritional value. Every 100 grams of fresh red dates contains 92 mg of vitamin C, which can meet 92% of an adult's daily requirement. It can be called the "king of vitamin C in the fruit world". It is also rich in dietary fiber and has excellent antioxidant capacity. Many experimental research documents at home and abroad have confirmed that the unique bioflavonoids and triterpenoid compounds in red dates are very beneficial to promoting human health.

Gongguan Township in Miaoli County is a native red date producing area in Taiwan. There is a saying circulating in the local area: "Eating red dates from a young age will keep you young; eating three dates a day will keep you young forever; adding red dates to grains is better than Ganoderma lucidum; if a lady wants to have good skin, don't forget to add red dates when cooking porridge." Nutritionist You Weiming said that in the cold winter, people are more susceptible to colds and their resistance is reduced, so red dates are often used in soups, drinks or dishes to enhance the aroma and sweetness, promote appetite, and achieve a warming effect. Especially for people whose hands and feet are easily cold in winter, they can have a bowl of red date dishes to nourish their bodies.

The vitamin C content of red dates is greatly reduced after being dried in the sun

Nutritionist You Weiming reminds us that under the same calories, fresh red dates contain a large amount of vitamin C and excellent antioxidant capacity. As can be seen from the table below, if the red dates are dried in the sun, the vitamin C and antioxidant capacity will be greatly reduced. In order to fully obtain the nutritional components of red dates, it is recommended to eat fresh red dates. July to August each year is the period when red dates mature and are harvested. Their flavor, sweetness and crispness are at their best, making it a good time to eat fresh red dates.

Steaming, boiling and soaking red dates have different magical effects

There are three common ways to cook red dates: steaming, boiling and soaking. If you want to fully unleash the nutritional value of red dates, you must cook them according to different physiological needs. After the skin and flesh of steamed red dates are heated, they are not only sweet but also easier to digest and absorb by the human body, making them very suitable for children and the elderly. The effective substances in boiled red dates are easily dissolved, and when cooked with millet, more B vitamins can be obtained, achieving the effect of warming and promoting sleep. Finally, soaked red dates have the nutrients least likely to be destroyed, but the red dates must be cut during soaking in order to obtain the effective ingredients, aroma and sweetness to be incorporated into the drink.

Although fresh red dates have a very high nutritional value, they are still classified as fruits, so they have a higher sugar content. People with poor blood sugar control and diabetics need to pay attention to their intake.

The following are the recommended recipes for steaming, boiling and soaking red dates recommended by nutritionist You Weiming for your reference:

【Steamed black fungus with rock sugar and red dates】

Soak 10 grams of dried white fungus in water until it becomes soft, then cut off the stems. Put the soft white fungus, 8 dried red dates, and 600 ml of water into an electric rice cooker. Add 3 cups of water to the outer pot, press the power button to stew. After the rice cooker pops up, simmer for 10 minutes. After the pot opens, add appropriate amount of rock sugar to taste and enjoy.

【Red dates and brown sugar millet porridge】

Add 8 dried red dates to 600 ml of water and boil for 5 minutes. Add half a cup of millet and cook while stirring for about 10 minutes until the millet becomes soft and has a thick porridge texture. Then add appropriate amount of brown sugar to taste and enjoy.

【Red dates soaked in honey and ginger】

Put 3 sliced ​​fresh red dates, some ginger slices, 500 ml of warm water and some honey into a water bottle and wait for 5 minutes before enjoying.

Fresh red dates have high sugar content, diabetics should pay attention

Red dates have many benefits to the human body, but what should we pay attention to when eating red dates? Nutritionist You Weiming said that although fresh red dates have a very high nutritional value, they are still classified as fruits, so the sugar content of fresh red dates is relatively high. People with poor blood sugar control and diabetics need to pay attention to the amount they consume. Red dates are warm in nature, so women with hot constitutions also need to pay attention to the amount they consume during their menstrual period. Therefore, it is recommended to consume 100-150 grams of fresh red dates every day. Since dried red dates are easily eaten as snacks, in order to avoid overeating, it is recommended to consume about 50 grams of dried red dates per day.

Avoid pitfalls when choosing red dates: Mainland China vs. Taiwan red dates

How can you avoid stepping on landmines when choosing red dates? Taiwan's red dates must pass a pesticide-free test before they can be sold to avoid eating dates that contain various preservatives and heavy metals. High-quality, fresh and plump red dates, after being dried in the sun, have more wrinkles on the skin and plump and firm flesh. People can judge the quality of red dates by the skin, color, wrinkles, and feel when pressed.

Nutritionist You Weiming said that the peel and flesh of dried Taiwanese red dates are darker in color, smaller in size, with a wrinkled skin and a shiny dry fruit. They feel solid when pressed lightly with fingers, and the seeds are slender. The peel and flesh of dried Chinese red dates are lighter in color, larger in size, with fewer wrinkles on the skin and a moist and sticky fruit. They feel loose when pressed lightly with fingers, and the seeds are wide and plump. People can recognize the Miaoli Gongguan red dates origin group mark to avoid mistakenly choosing counterfeit red dates and raising food safety concerns.

Pictures (1) and (2) are red dates from mainland China, picture (3) is red dates from Taiwan, and the bottom row is red date seeds. (Photo source: Miaoli Gongguan Farmers Association)