| The jujube fruit is a Chinese date. Jujubes are | | | | food shops. And to make the traditional remedy |
| oval and about the size of an olive, containing a | | | | for night terrors, try this: |
| bright red flesh when they are fresh, but shrinking | | | | Lullaby Soup |
| and shriveling and turning brown to an appearance | | | | This porridge originates from the oldest of all |
| similar to other dates when they are dried. Every | | | | written cookbooks, a medical guide entitled |
| jujube contains 1 or 2 seeds. Jujubes become | | | | Essentials from the Golden Cabinet, written in |
| sweeter as they are dried, and jujube date sugar | | | | China in the early third century CE. The venerable |
| is a key component of thousands of traditional | | | | medical sage Zhang Zhongjing described an |
| Chinese and Japanese herbal medicines. | | | | elaborate theory of how this simple soup is |
| While complex herbal formulas use jujube sugar | | | | suitable for calming children and soothing sore |
| to "harmonize" other ingredients, the primary use | | | | throats in adults, explaining that anxiety, excessive |
| of jujube dates in Asian kitchen medicine is to | | | | worry, or pensiveness disrupted the flow of |
| create calm, especially calm after night terrors. | | | | energy throughout the body and the jujubes and |
| Porridges sweetened with jujube sugar are a | | | | rice recaptured the "lost soul" disabled by |
| standard remedy for toddlers who cry at night, | | | | emotional distress. Traditional Chinese Medicine |
| so much so that an instant porridge known as | | | | regards the recipe as so useful it is even available |
| Gan Mai Da Zao Tang is available from | | | | as an instant soup in China today. You can make |
| acupuncturists and at Chinese herb shops across | | | | this porridge into a vegetarian dinner |
| the United States. | | | | entrée by adding 1/2 cup of almonds or |
| Laboratory experiments with animals have found | | | | pine nuts, reserving a few almonds or pine nuts |
| that the sugar in jujube dates reduces electrical | | | | for garnish for adult diners. |
| activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain | | | | 1 cup jujube dates |
| associated with overwhelming, primal urges. I can | | | | 1 licorice stick |
| attest from personal experience that jujubes | | | | 1 cup rice |
| calm crying toddlers, long enough for uncle (or | | | | 4 cups water |
| parents) to take a nap. | | | | 1. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water, and |
| You can use jujubes whenever recipes call for | | | | allow to stand for at least 1 hour. |
| raisins or dates. Jujubes grow and produce | | | | 2. Rinse the jujubes, then remove seeds and |
| prolifically across the southern U.S. from Florida to | | | | discard the licorice stick. Cut the dates into small |
| California. If you pick jujubes from your own tree, | | | | pieces. |
| just be sure to let them ripen first. Jujubes picked | | | | 3. Drain the rice, then put rice and jujubes plus 1 |
| too early, that is, before the flesh inside the date | | | | cup of water into a blender, pulsing several times. |
| begins to turn yellow and take on the texture and | | | | (If you are using almonds or pine nuts, add them |
| flavor of a crisp apple, do not ripen to their red, | | | | at this step.) Add 2 more cups of water and |
| sugary, soft desirable state. | | | | continuing pulsing until you have an even mixture. |
| The dates are especially high in vitamin C and | | | | 4. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to |
| keep indefinitely without sulfites or other | | | | a boil. Then reduce heat, stirring frequently, until |
| preservatives when dried. If you do not grow | | | | mixture has the consistency of ketchup. |
| your own jujubes or have access to a farmer's | | | | 5. Serve hot. A sprinkle of cinnamon or a few |
| market where jujubes are sold, jujube fruit in | | | | raisins or pitted jujube dates add color and flavor. |
| available in most Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian | | | | |