Longan & Red Date Tea (桂圆红枣茶): The 5-Minute Daily Brew

Most of the sweet soups on this site ask for a slow simmer and a bit of patience. This one asks for almost nothing. Drop a few dried red dates and a handful of dried longan into hot water, wait a few minutes, and you have a cup that tastes like warm caramel and honey — naturally sweet, with no sugar added at all.

It's the humblest thing in the whole tong sui family, and probably the one that gets made most often. In plenty of Chinese homes there's a jar of red dates and longan sitting next to the tea, and a cup of this is simply what you reach for in the afternoon, the way someone else might reach for a coffee.

If you've been curious about these ingredients but haven't wanted to commit to a whole pot of soup, start here.

Why it works with no added sugar

Dried red dates (红枣) have a deep, chewy, caramel-like sweetness, and dried longan (桂圆) is honeyed and faintly smoky. Steep them together and both release that sweetness into the water — the result is genuinely sweet without a grain of sugar. Adding rock sugar is optional, and most people don't bother.

Tearing the dates open before steeping makes a real difference: it lets much more flavor out. It's the one small move worth remembering.

Ingredients

Makes 1 large cup, or 2 small

• 4–5 dried red dates (红枣), torn open or pitted and halved
• A small handful of dried longan (桂圆), about 8–10 pieces
• 300–400ml (about 1½ cups) hot water
• Optional: a few goji berries (枸杞), added at the end
• Optional: a thin slice or two of fresh ginger, for a warming version
• Optional: a small piece of rock sugar, if you want it sweeter

How to make it

The quick way (steeping):

1. Prep the dates. Rinse the red dates and tear each one open with your fingers, or halve and remove the pits. This is what lets the flavor out.

2. Steep. Put the torn dates and longan into a mug, teapot, or heatproof jar. Pour over hot (just-boiled) water.

3. Wait. Let it steep for 5–10 minutes. The water will turn a warm amber-brown and taste sweet. Longer steeping means deeper flavor.

4. Finish. Add a few goji berries in the last minute or two if using — they only need to plump up. Sip, and top up the same dates with more hot water for a second cup.

The slower way (simmering):

For a richer, deeper brew, put the dates and longan into a small pot with the water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. This pulls out much more flavor, and the drink turns noticeably darker and sweeter. Add goji berries at the very end.

Tips

• Tear the dates. Whole dried dates release very little; torn open, they release a lot.
• Refill and re-steep. One batch of dates and longan is good for two or even three cups of hot water.
• Add ginger when it's cold out. A slice or two of fresh ginger turns it into a warming winter drink.
• Eat the fruit. The softened dates and longan at the bottom of the cup are lovely to eat once you've finished the tea.
• Make a jar of it. Steep a big batch in a thermos in the morning and sip it through the day.

Building your sweet soup pantry

Red dates and longan are two of the most useful things to keep in a Chinese pantry — they turn up in almost every sweet soup on this site. Both are on the Pantry page, along with the other staples I use.

Ready for something more substantial? Try the silky chilled snow fungus soup with pear, which uses red dates too, or the glossy peach gum dessert soup.

New sweet soup recipes land here every week — subscribe below to cook along.