Are Nanzao and black dates? What is the difference between Nanzao and black dates?

Nanzao is made of high-quality green jujube. The skin is dark and bright red, the pattern is delicate, the flesh is golden, and the size is uniform. It is a treasure among jujubes. It was offered as tribute every year during the Qing Dynasty, so it is called "tribute jujube". Nanzao has the benefits of nourishing the kidney and liver, strengthening the brain and calming the mind, nourishing the spleen and stomach, promoting blood circulation and strengthening the heart, and nourishing the skin and darkening the hair. Is Nanzao a black jujube? Many friends can't tell the difference. Let's take a look!

Contents of this article

1. Are Nanzao dates black dates?

2. What is the difference between southern dates and black dates?

3. How to store black dates

4. Taboos on eating black dates

Are Nanzao black dates?

They are not the same thing at all. Black dates are a specialty of the north, mainly distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, and also grown in central, southern and southwestern parts of the country. They contain the most vitamin C, calcium and iron, and are mostly used to replenish blood and as a conditioning medicine; while southern dates are a traditional specialty of Zhejiang. Made from high-quality green dates, there are two types: Tangjiang red dates and original red candied dates. The main nutrient is also vitamin C, and the amino acid content is also high. Some people say that southern dates are black dates, but in fact, they are taking the soaked dried dates as black dates. This finished product looks similar to southern dates, but the raw materials are different, so they are not the same thing.

What is the difference between southern dates and black dates?

The characteristic of red dates is that they have a very high vitamin content and are known as "natural vitamin pills". They have the effects of nourishing yin and yang, replenishing the spleen and qi, nourishing blood and calming the mind.

Black dates are warm and sweet in nature. They are rich in protein, sugar, organic acid, vitamin B and vitamin E, and trace elements such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, and various nutrients. They have the effect of nourishing the kidney and stomach. Regular consumption can help women replenish qi and blood and maintain epithelial cell tissue. They also warm the stomach, improve eyesight and blood circulation, and promote diuresis and detoxification. They are a good product for moisturizing the skin and blackening the beard and hair.

The difference between black dates and red dates: Black dates are different from smoked dates. Smoked black dates are black dates. They are made from fresh dates (red dates) after special processing (oil cooking, smoking), and are a dried product of fresh dates. They are black in color, so they are also called "black dates" (commonly known as smoked dates, amethyst dates, horse tooth dates, and dog head dates). Although this kind of black dates is also rich in nutrients, it still belongs to the red dates category, and is completely different from the black dates in the "five black categories" of traditional kidney-tonifying foods.

How to store black dates

1. After purchasing black dates, you need to select them and pick out the bad dates with bruises on the surface, black spots or worms to prevent the bad dates containing mold from infecting other black dates during storage.

2. The method of preserving black dates at home is generally to use a refrigerator. Pick out the black dates that are fresh and intact and whose peels are not completely red. Seal them with a plastic bag, leaving a small amount of air in the bag, and then seal it. Then put it in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0℃-4℃. When packing in plastic bags, it is best to use small bags and open a small bag each time to eat, so that the black dates can be preserved for a longer time.

3. If you don’t use the refrigerator to store the black dates, you can also put the black dates in a fresh-keeping bag or box and store them in a cool and ventilated place to keep them fresh.

4. If there are a lot of black dates, they need to be pre-cooled at 5-8℃ for 1-2 days before refrigeration. After pre-cooling, the black dates can be stored in a cold storage with a temperature of 0℃-1℃ and a relative humidity of 90%-95%.

Taboos on eating black dates

1. It is not suitable to eat too much black dates. Eating too much black dates will cause stomach bloating. Excessive consumption of black dates will also cause excessive stomach acid.

2. Black dates are not suitable to be eaten with persimmons or seafood.

3. The skin of black dates will fall off automatically if you add a little bit of rush when cooking the black dates.

4. It is not suitable to eat black dates on an empty stomach because black dates contain a lot of tannic acid and pectin. Once these ingredients combine with stomach acid, they will cause lumps in the stomach.

5. Black dates are not suitable for pregnant women with abdominal distension. Moreover, black dates are cold in nature, so people with poor spleen and stomach should not eat too much.