Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, August 6 – I just realized when I needed to name my picture that I wrote about “dates” yesterday as a food, and today I’m going to write about “dates” again! (I really didn’t plan this ahead!) Can you read the dates on the packages in the picture? I took these all today August 6, 2016. I remember when I first went to a supermarket in China, after looking at the first couple of food packages, I wondered why the items were expired, then after a few more, I decided that they must be packing dates on packages NOT expiration dates like we were used to in the USA! The dates are also written differently than we were used to: year, month, date. I still mix this up! Who knows how many times I’ve written my birth date wrong! Friends from other countries, what does the rest of the world do with dates ??? Packing vs expiration, and how to write a date?
Chinese Red Dates
Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, August 5 – 红枣, “Hong zao,” Chinese red dates, or jujube, whatever you call them, they are delicious! This is the season for fresh dates where we live. There are different varieties, some are larger and more rounded, some smaller and oblong. The texture reminds me of an apple, they are crunchy and sweet, not juicy, but not dry either. Year round, dried red dates are popular here for a variety of uses. My picture shows a couple different sizes of whole dried red dates, some that are sliced, and a drink packet where they have been combined with medlar (goji berries) and sugar. I love to just put a big handful of dried dates in a cup, cover it with hot water and let it sit for a while until I have a delicious “tea.” The dried dates are also often used in soups, porridge, dim sum style cakes, and desserts, and they can be bought candied as a snack. They are also popular in Traditional Chinese Medicine as they are packed with nutrition. Maybe the fresh aren’t available worldwide, but good chances you can buy the dried ones!