Intro to Yakuzen Chai: Qi-Blood-Fluid Chai with Jujube, Goji, and Longan

The Idea Behind Yakuzen Chai

When people hear the word yakuzen (medicinal cuisine, 薬膳), they often picture bitter herbal remedies or specialized apothecaries. But the essence of yakuzen is a much simpler kind of wisdom: choosing everyday ingredients to match how your body feels. China's oldest materia medica, the Shennong Bencaojing (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica), sorted medicinal ingredients into three grades -- upper, middle, and lower -- and placed sweet, easy-to-eat foods like jujube and goji berry among the "upper" class: ingredients you can take every day without harm.

Chai turns out to be a remarkably good match for this way of thinking. As we've explored before, kampo herbs and chai spices share a great deal of common ground, and warm milk blends naturally with sweet, mild botanicals. In this article, we'll move from the foundation of yakuzen -- the concept of "qi, blood, and fluids" (ki-ketsu-sui, 気血水) -- all the way to a practical recipe using jujube, goji berry, and longan.

Qi, Blood, and Fluids: The Three Measures of Yakuzen

In East Asian medicine, health has traditionally been understood as the smooth circulation of three elements: qi (vital energy), blood, and fluids. Keeping these three in balance is the starting point of yakuzen.

Qi (Ki): Vital Energy

Qi is the invisible energy that keeps the body moving. When qi runs low, you tire easily; when its flow stagnates, your mood is said to sink. If you struggle to get your engine running in the morning, you may be running short on qi.

Blood (Ketsu): The Nourishing, Moistening Blood

Blood carries nutrients throughout the body. When blood is deficient, complexion is traditionally said to dull, and dizziness or eye fatigue can set in more easily. It's an element that modern people -- especially those who strain their eyes at a desk all day -- tend to lack.

Fluids (Sui): Every Bodily Fluid but Blood

Fluids refers to all the body's liquids other than blood. When their circulation is disrupted, it's said to lead to swelling and a heavy, sluggish feeling, so maintaining a balance of moisture is considered essential.

In yakuzen, you choose ingredients that replenish whatever you're lacking. All three of today's ingredients are believed to nourish both qi and blood, which makes them perfect entry points for beginners.

The Three Star Ingredients of Yakuzen Chai

Jujube (Natsume, 大棗): The Fruit That "Keeps Old Age at Bay"

An old Chinese saying goes: "Eat three jujubes a day, and you'll never look old." Jujube is one of the most beloved ingredients in all of yakuzen, traditionally said to replenish both qi and blood while calming the mind. Legend even holds that Yang Guifei, one of China's famed beauties, was fond of them.

Dried jujubes have a natural sweetness, and when simmered they turn rich and almost jammy in flavor. You can read more about their properties on the jujube page. Added to chai, they bring a satisfying sweetness that lets you cut back on sugar.

Goji Berry (Kuko-no-mi, 枸杞子): The Superfood Known as the Goji

The vivid red goji berry is famous in the West as a superfood. In yakuzen it is believed to nourish the liver and kidneys, and it has traditionally been valued above all for easing eye fatigue -- which is why it's long been a favorite among those who strain their eyes over computers and phones. See the goji berry page for more.

Float a few on the surface of your chai and you'll add a gentle sweet-tart note along with a beautiful splash of color. Rather than simmering them, it's best to add them at the end and let them steep for a few minutes.

Longan (Ryuganniku, 龍眼肉): The "Oriental Lychee" Yang Guifei Loved

Longan is a fruit closely resembling lychee, and its dried flesh is called ryuganniku ("dragon-eye flesh"). The name comes from the way the pale flesh wraps around a dark seed, evoking a dragon's eye. In yakuzen it is said to nourish the "heart" and "spleen," and it has long been used as a restorative for sleepless nights spent worrying -- appearing in the classic formula kihi-to (Guipi Tang, 帰脾湯).

With a dense, honey-like sweetness, longan lends deep richness to milk chai as a kind of secret ingredient. The longan page covers its yakuzen properties in detail.

Practical Recipe: Qi-and-Blood Yakuzen Milk Chai

Here's a basic recipe perfect for your first cup, sized for two mugs (about 400ml).

Ingredients

• Water ... 200ml
• Milk ... 200ml
• Black tea (a strong leaf like Assam) ... 2 teaspoons
• Jujube ... 2 (pitted and torn by hand)
• Goji berries ... 1 teaspoon
• Longan ... 3 to 4 pieces
• Cinnamon ... 1/2 stick
• Ginger (sliced) ... 2 slices
• Honey or unrefined cane sugar ... to taste

Method

1. Put the water, torn jujube, longan, cinnamon, and ginger in a pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. It's ready when the jujube's sweetness has drawn out and the liquid turns a pale reddish-brown.
2. Add the tea leaves and simmer for another 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the milk and heat until just before boiling. Watch the heat, as it can easily boil over.
4. Turn off the heat, add the goji berries, and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Strain into cups and add honey to taste.

Ginger and cinnamon circulate the qi, jujube and longan replenish the blood, and goji berries add moisture -- all three elements gathered in a single cup. In the colder months, add extra ginger and it doubles as a warming chai for cold sensitivity.

A Few Small Tips for Enjoying It

• The simmered jujubes are edible. Scoop up the flesh left at the bottom of your cup with a spoon and savor it. It's a nutrient-packed part -- too good to waste.
• Ideal for an afternoon moment. If caffeine is a concern, swap the black tea for rooibos and it works as an evening relaxation chai too.
• Let the ingredients do the sweetening. Jujube and longan provide plenty of sweetness on their own, so start with very little sugar, if any.

Keep in mind that the benefits of yakuzen depend on matching ingredients to your own constitution. Those who are pregnant, have chronic conditions, or take medication should be aware that some ingredients may be best avoided -- when in doubt, consult a professional before adding them in.

Summary

Yakuzen chai is easy to start with three sweet, approachable ingredients: jujube, goji berry, and longan. Once you know the bodily framework of "qi, blood, and fluids," you gain the pleasure of adjusting ingredients to match how you feel that day. Start with the basic recipe, then explore the balance your own body finds most comfortable. And if you learn your taste tendencies through ChaiHolic's taste diagnosis, your affinity with these medicinal ingredients is sure to come into focus.

References

• The Japan Society for Oriental Medicine - About Kampo
• National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition - Information on the Safety and Effectiveness of Health Foods
• Commentary on the Shennong Bencaojing (Classic of Oriental Medicine) - Japan Kampo Medicines Manufacturers Association