Roasted Sour Jujube Seed and Black Mulberry Tea

Why people make this tea

Insomnia is one of the most common complaints in modern urban life. In traditional Chinese medicine it is not treated as one condition but understood through different patterns: a heart-spleen deficiency type (waking easily after falling asleep; shallow sleep; low energy and poor appetite during the day); a yin-deficiency with excess-fire type (difficulty falling asleep; racing thoughts; heart palpitations; dry mouth and tongue); and a gallbladder-deficiency with liver excess type (startling awake with fright; easily anxious; prone to sighing and irritability). For all three patterns, Bro Niu recommends soaking the feet in warm water for 10 minutes before bed — a simple habit that helps the qi and blood settle downward. For the tea itself, roasted sour jujube seeds (chao zao ren) are one of Chinese medicine’s most relied-upon herbs for calming the heart-mind, easing anxiety and depression, and supporting sleep. Paired with deeply nutritious black mulberries, this two-ingredient brew is gentle, pleasant to drink, and easy to prepare every evening.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for adults who experience anxiety, restless sleep, frequent waking, or night sweats
• Black mulberries are particularly suitable for women and are associated with calming during pregnancy (but use the substitute below instead of zao ren during pregnancy)
• Pregnant women should NOT use roasted sour jujube seeds (zao ren); substitute roasted platycladus seeds (chao bai zi ren) — see Bro Niu’s tips

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Roasted sour jujube seeds (chao zao ren): One of the most widely used Chinese herbs for sleep and anxiety; traditionally used to nourish the heart, calm the mind, contain sweating, and generate fluids; modern research has identified saponins and flavonoids with sedative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant activity
• Dried black mulberries (hei sang shen): Rich in anthocyanins, vitamins, and minerals; traditionally used to nourish the yin, calm the mind, support the blood, and benefit the kidneys; the deep purple-black colour signals high antioxidant content; particularly valued for women’s wellness

Ingredients (1–2 cups)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Roasted sour jujube seeds (chao zao ren)	1 tablespoon	Ready-roasted from Chinese medicine shops
Dried black mulberries (hei sang shen)	2 tablespoons	Whole dried berries

Method

1. Place both ingredients in a teapot or heatproof cup.
2. Rinse once with boiling water, then discard that first rinse.
3. Pour in fresh boiling water to fill.
4. Steep for 15 minutes before drinking.
5. The same ingredients can be steeped 2–3 more times with additional boiling water.

Bro Niu’s tips

This tea is naturally sweet with a very gentle tartness — suitable for all ages. Before bed, try soaking your feet in warm water for 10 minutes; this simple habit helps the body settle and can meaningfully improve all three patterns of insomnia. Pregnant women should not use sour jujube seeds; instead, substitute roasted platycladus seeds (chao bai zi ren), which are also associated with calming the heart-mind, reducing night sweats, and supporting restful sleep in those with blood deficiency, palpitations, and age-related constipation. Adding 10 pieces of longan flesh (yuan rou / long yan rou) can further strengthen the calming effect.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (mo): My husband is 68, has chronic insomnia, and takes blood thinners, cholesterol medication, and blood pressure medication. Can he drink this tea? Bro Niu: Yes, he can drink this tea. Adding 10 pieces of longan flesh (yuan rou) will further strengthen the calming and sleep-supporting effect.

• Q (mo, follow-up): How many times a week can he take the soup of zao ren, bai zi ren, fresh Chinese yam, lily bulb, lotus seeds, longan and lean pork? Bro Niu: Four to five times a week, until symptoms improve, then you can stop.

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Published August 25, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.