The Ingredients Inside Your Juju — And Why Every One Matters
INGREDIENTS · EDUCATION
The Ingredients Inside Your Juju — And Why Every One Matters
By Juju · 7 min read
I am particular about ingredients. Obsessively so. Before Jujucollagen relaunched, I spent months reworking every flavour to meet one standard: could I explain every single ingredient to my grandmother, and would she approve?
If the answer was no — if something existed purely for shelf life, or colour, or to mask an off-note — it came out. No exceptions.
What remained is what you find in every bottle today. Let me walk you through it.
The foundation: 100% fish maw
Every series starts with real, whole fish maw — not fish maw extract, not hydrolysed fish maw protein, but the ingredient itself, stewed fresh.
Our Hot Series uses New Zealand croaker fish maw (30g per bottle), known for its thick, gelatinous texture and high collagen yield when slow-cooked. Our Cold Series uses butterfly fish maw, which has a finer, more delicate texture suited to cold infusions and lighter flavour profiles.
Both are sourced from suppliers with full traceability. We know where every batch comes from. We know how it was processed. This matters to us the way it would matter to anyone cooking for their family.
| Real ingredients have names you recognise. If you cannot picture it growing, swimming, or blooming, question whether it belongs in your body.
Hot series: the warming tonics
The Hot Series is designed for deep nourishment — rich, warming, suited to mornings or after meals. Each flavour is a considered pairing of fish maw with traditional herbs and grains.
Barley and red dates (薏米红枣) is our most classic combination. Barley — Job’s tears, technically — has been used in TCM to clear dampness and support the spleen. Red dates are a tonic for blood and qi, often recommended for women experiencing fatigue or pallor. Together with fish maw, they create a bowl of something your body intuitively trusts.
Five Reds (五红汤) is perhaps the most powerful blend in the range: red dates, goji berry, red bean, red peanuts, and brown sugar. In TCM, red-pigmented foods are associated with heart health and blood tonification. This is a blend specifically designed for women — for warmth, for replenishment after menstruation, for the sustained energy of a body in balance.
Lotus seed and longan (莲子龙眼) calms the mind as much as it nourishes the body. Longan is considered a heart tonic in TCM — sweet, warming, beneficial for insomnia and anxiety. Lotus seed is used to calm the spirit and support the kidneys. For the woman whose mind does not switch off, this is the flavour we most often recommend.
Cold series: the refined infusions
The Cold Series was born from a simple question: what does a woman who loves beauty reach for when she wants something refined, something that feels as good as it looks?
Rose (玫瑰) is the answer. Our butterfly fish maw is infused with organic rose petals and raw cane sugar — nothing else. Rose is used in TCM to move qi and benefit the liver, which in Chinese medicine is associated with emotional wellbeing and skin health. It also smells extraordinary.
Osmanthus (桂花) is a gold-tier ingredient — subtle, floral, associated with longevity in Chinese culture. It pairs with fish maw in a way that feels almost too elegant to be called wellness. But it is. Deeply.
Matcha and Earl Grey are our nods to the modern woman — familiar flavours, trusted origins (Kyoto matcha, premium Earl Grey leaves), elevated by the fish maw base into something that feels genuinely luxurious.
Cocoa is our most unexpected flavour. Dark and earthy, it was designed for the woman who wants her self-care to feel indulgent, not clinical. Cacao is rich in magnesium, flavonoids, and antioxidants. With fish maw, it creates something that tastes like a treat and functions like a tonic.
The sweeteners: why we chose organic
Every flavour is lightly sweetened — because fish maw, while mild, benefits from a gentle balance. But we refused to use refined white sugar, artificial sweeteners, or sugar substitutes.
Our Hot Series uses organic brown sugar or organic rock sugar, both of which are minimally processed and carry trace minerals absent in refined white sugar. Our Cold Series uses organic raw cane sugar, which retains its natural molasses content.
These are not marketing claims. They are the actual ingredients. You can taste the difference — a softness, a depth, that processed sugar does not deliver.
We chose every ingredient the way you would choose something for someone you love. Because that is exactly who our customers are.
What you will never find in a Juju bottle
No preservatives. No artificial colouring. No flavour enhancers. No thickeners. No emulsifiers. No hidden fillers.
We do not use them because we do not need them. Fresh-stewed fish maw, properly sealed, maintains its integrity without chemical preservation. The flavours are real enough that they do not need enhancement.
Our shelf life is shorter than a mass-produced supplement. We accept that. It is the price of making something real.
