Jujube (UK /ˈdʒuːdʒuːb/; US /ˈdʒudʒub/ or /ˈdʒudʒəbiː/[5]), sometimes jujuba, scientific name Ziziphus jujuba, and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube,[6] is a species in the genus Ziziphus in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Indian jujube, Z. mauritiana. The Chinese jujube enjoys a diverse range of climates from temperate to tropical, whereas the Indian jujube is restricted to warmer subtropical and tropical climates.[7]
| Jujube | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ziziphus jujuba, habitus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Ziziphus |
| Species: | Z. jujuba
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ziziphus jujuba | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
.jpg) Fresh jujube fruit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 331 kJ (79 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20.23 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.2 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.2 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 77.86 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[3] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jujube fruit naturally turns red upon drying. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 1,201 kJ (287 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
73.6 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.1 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.7 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 19.7 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[3] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description
editIt is a small deciduous tree or shrub reaching a height of 5–12 metres (16–39 feet), usually with thorny branches. The leaves are shiny-green, ovate-acute, 2–7 centimetres (3⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches) long and 1–3 cm (3⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) wide, with three conspicuous veins at the base, and a finely toothed margin. The flowers are small, 5 millimetres (1⁄4 in) wide, with five inconspicuous yellowish-green petals. The fruit is an edible oval drupe 1.5–3 cm (5⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) deep; when immature it is smooth-green, with the consistency and taste of an apple with lower acidity, maturing brown to purplish-black, and eventually wrinkled, looking like a small date. There is a single hard kernel, similar to an olive pit,[8] containing two seeds.
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Bark -
Plate from the book Flora de Filipinas -
Leaf margin -
Flowers -
Close-up of flowers -
Fruit -
Fruit cross section
Chemistry
editLeaves contain saponin and ziziphin, which suppresses the ability to perceive sweet taste.[9]
Flavinoids found in the fruits include Kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, Quercetine 3-O-robinobioside, Quercetine 3-O-rutinoside. Terpenoids such as colubrinic acid and alphitolic acid were found in the fruits.[10]
Taxonomy
editThe ultimate source of the name is Ancient Greek ζίζυφον zízyphon.[11] This was borrowed into Classical Latin as zizyphum (used for the fruit) and zizyphus (the tree). A descendant of the Latin word into a Romance language, which may have been French jujube or medieval Latin jujuba, in turn gave rise to the common English jujube.[5] This name is not related to jojoba, which is a loan from Spanish jojoba, itself borrowed from hohohwi, the name of that plant in a Native American language.[12][which?]
The binomial name has a curious nomenclatural history, due to a combination of botanical naming regulations, and variations in spelling. It was first named in the binomial system by Carl Linnaeus as Rhamnus zizyphus, in Species Plantarum (1753). Philip Miller, in his Gardener's Dictionary, considered that the jujube and its relatives were sufficiently distinct from Rhamnus to be placed in a separate genus (as it had already been by the pre-Linnaean author Tournefort in 1700), and in the 1768 edition he gave it the name Ziziphus jujuba (using Tournefort's spelling for the genus name). For the species name, he used a different name, as tautonyms (repetition of exactly the same name in the genus and species) are not permitted in botanical naming. However, because of Miller's slightly different spelling, the combination of the earlier species name (from Linnaeus) with the new genus, Ziziphus zizyphus, is not a tautonym, and was therefore permitted as a botanical name. This combination was made by Hermann Karsten in 1882.[8][13] In 2006, a proposal was made to suppress the name Ziziphus zizyphus in favor of Ziziphus jujuba,[14] and this proposal was accepted in 2011.[15] Ziziphus jujuba is thus the correct scientific name for this species.
Distribution and habitat
editIts precise natural distribution is uncertain due to extensive cultivation. However, its origin is thought to be in southwest Asia, between Lebanon, northern India, and southern and central China, and possibly also southeastern Europe though more likely introduced there.[8] It grows wild but is also a garden shrub, kept for its fruit.
The tree tolerates a wide range of temperatures and rainfall, though it requires hot summers and sufficient water for acceptable fruiting. Unlike most of the other species in the genus, it tolerates fairly cold winters, surviving temperatures down to about −15 °C (5 °F), and the tree is, for instance, commonly cultivated in Beijing. This wide tolerance enables the jujube to grow in mountain or desert habitats, provided there is access to underground water throughout the summer. The jujube (Z. jujuba) grows in cooler regions of Asia. Five or more other species of Ziziphus are widely distributed in milder climates to hot deserts of Asia and Africa.[16]
This plant has been introduced in Madagascar and grows as an invasive species in the western part of the island, threatening mostly protected areas. It is cultivated in parts of southern California.[17]
Ecology
edit
Witch's broom, prevalent in China and Korea, is the main disease affecting jujubes, though plantings in North America currently are not affected by any pests or diseases.[18] In Europe, the last several years have seen some 80%–90% of the jujube crop eaten by insect larvae (see picture), including those of the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta.[19]
In Madagascar, it is widely eaten by free-ranging zebus, and its seeds grow easily in zebu feces.
Cultivation
editJujube was domesticated in South Asia by 9000 BC.[20] Over 400 cultivars have been selected.
The fruit, when the plant is kept as a garden shrub, is picked in the autumn.
Varieties
edit- Chico (also called GI 7-62) developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the 1950s[21]
- Li, major commercial variety in the US[21]
- Shanxi li, very large fruit[21]
- Lang, major commercial variety in the US[21]
- Sherwood [21]
- Silverhill (also known as Yu and Tigertooth) can be grown in areas with high humidity[21]
- So[21]
- Shui Men[21]
- GA 866[21]
- Honey jar, small juicy fruit[21]
- Sugar cane[21]
- Winter delight, major commercial variety in China[21]
Uses
edit
Culinary
editThe freshly harvested, as well as the candied dried fruit, are often eaten as a snack, or with coffee. Smoked jujubes are consumed in Vietnam and are referred to as black jujubes.[22] A drink can be made by crushing the pulp in water.[23] Both China and Korea produce a sweetened tea syrup containing jujube fruit in glass jars, and canned jujube tea or jujube tea in the form of teabags. To a lesser extent, jujube fruit is made into juice and jujube vinegar (called 枣 醋 or 红枣 醋 in Chinese). They are used for making pickles (কুলের আচার) in west Bengal and Bangladesh. In Assam it is known as "Bogori" and the pickle, Bogori aachar (বগৰি আচাৰ), is famous. In China, a wine made from jujube fruit is called hong zao jiu (红枣酒).
Sometimes pieces of jujube fruit are preserved by storing them in a jar filled with baijiu (Chinese liquor), which allows them to be kept fresh for a long time, especially through the winter. Such jujubes are called zui zao (醉枣; literally "drunk jujube"). The fruit is also a significant ingredient in a wide variety of Chinese delicacies (e.g. 甑糕 jing gao, a steamed rice cake).
In Vietnam and Taiwan, fully mature, nearly ripe fruit is harvested and sold on the local markets and also exported to Southeast Asian countries.[24] The dried fruit is used in desserts in China and Vietnam, such as ching bo leung, a cold beverage that includes the dried jujube, longan, fresh seaweed, barley, and lotus seeds.[24]
In Korea, jujubes are called daechu (대추) and are used in daechucha and samgyetang.
In Singapore, jujubes are used to make red dates tea for postpartum recovery. Red dates tea is a postpartum powerhouse, packed with iron and vitamins to combat anemia, promote better blood flow, and speed up recovery while reducing post-birth complications. It restores energy, or “Qi,” helping new mothers stay energized, and its plant-based estrogens may even support milk production, offering natural lactation benefits.[25]
On his visit to Medina, the 19th-century English explorer, Sir Richard Burton, observed that the local variety of jujube fruit was widely eaten. He describes its taste as like "a bad plum, an unripe cherry, and an insipid apple". He gives the local names for three varieties as "Hindi (Indian), Baladi (native), Tamri (date-like)."[26] A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in the Jordan valley and around Jerusalem.[27] The bedouin valued the fruit, calling it nabk. It could be dried and kept for winter or made into a paste which was used as bread.[28]
In Persian cuisine, the dried drupes are known as annab, while in neighboring Armenia, it is commonly eaten as a snack, and is known as unab. Confusion in the common name apparently is widespread. The unab is Z. jujuba. Rather, ber is used for three other cultivated or wild species, e.g., Z. spina-christi, Z. mauritiana and Z. nummularia in parts of India and is eaten both fresh and dried.[clarification needed] The Arabic name sidr is used for Ziziphus species other than Z. jujuba.
Traditionally in India, the fruits are dried in the sun and the hard seeds removed, after which the dried flesh is pounded with tamarind, red chillies, salt, and jaggery. In some parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, fresh whole ripe fruit is crushed with the above ingredients and sun-dried to make cakes called ilanthai vadai or regi vadiyalu (Telugu).[29] It is also commonly consumed as a snack.
In Northern and Northeastern India the fruit is eaten fresh with salt and chilli flakes and also preserved as candy, jam or pickle with oil and spices.
In Madagascar, jujube fruit is eaten fresh or dried. People also use it to make jam. A jujube honey is produced in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.[24]
Italy has an alcoholic syrup called brodo di giuggiole.[30]
In Croatia, especially Dalmatia, jujubes are used in marmalades, juices, and rakija (fruit brandy).
In Senegal and The Gambia, Jujube is called Sii dem or Ceedem, and the fruit is used as snack and also turned into a dried paste favoured as a sweetmeat by schoolchildren. More recently it has been processed and sold in Dakar by women.
In Australia jujube beer is made.[31]
The commercial jujube candy popular in movie theaters originally contained jujube juice but now uses other flavorings.
In Laoling, China, jujube juice and wine are made.[32][33]
Traditional Chinese medicine
editThis section needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (October 2012) |  |
The fruit and its seeds are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Kampo for many purposes. Some investigational research indicates possibilities related to their traditional use to alleviate stress[34] and for sedation.[35] In these systems, it is also believed to have uses as an antiseptic/antifungal agent, anti-inflammatory, contraceptive, and muscle relaxer. It is also thought to help in regulation of blood pressure, stimulate the immune system, prevent ulcers and aid in wound healing. Jujube fruit is also combined with other herbs to treat colds and influenza. It is used to protect and heal the kidneys, heart, and spleen. Jujube is also one of the ingredients used in Chinese medicine to modulate the effects of other herbs, preventing overpowering effects or clashing properties.[citation needed]
The fruit contains many different healthy properties like vitamins and amino acids[citation needed].
Other uses
editIn Japan, the natsume has given its name to a style of tea caddy used in the Japanese tea ceremony, due to the similar shape.[36] Its hard, oily wood was, along with pear, used for woodcuts to print books starting in the 8th century and continuing through the 19th in China and neighboring countries. As many as 2000 copies could be produced from one jujube woodcut.[37][verification needed]
The timber is sometimes used for small items, such as tuning pegs for instruments. Select grade Jujube timber is often used in traditional Asian instruments for fingerboard, pegs, rests & soundposts, ribs & necks etc. It has a medium to hard density similar to luthier grade European maple and has excellent tonal qualities. Jujube Wood can be found in local folk instruments from Ceylon/India thru to China/Korea; it is also commonly used in China in violin & cello making for overseas export, though usually stained black to imitate the look of ebony. Luthier grade jujube wood planes and carves beautifully.[citation needed]
Culture
editIn Arabic-speaking regions the jujube and alternatively the species Z. lotus are closely related to the lote-trees (sing. سدرة sidrah, pl. سدر sidr) which are mentioned in the Quran,[38][39] while in Palestine the species Z. spina-christi is called sidr.[27]
An ancient jujube tree in the city Al-Qurnah, Iraq, is claimed by locals as the Tree of Knowledge mentioned in the Bible.[40][failed verification] Local tradition holds that the place where the city was built was the original site of the Garden of Eden (a passage in the Book of Genesis creation narrative says that a river flowed from the garden and split into Tigris and Euphrates rivers,[41] where the city is currently). The tree is a tourist spot in the town.
Jujube tree is important in Hinduism too as Vishnu is worshipped in a major temple, in Badrinath, from the Sanskrit compound Badarīnātha, consisting of the terms badarī (jujube tree) and nātha (lord), an epithet of Vishnu.[42] It is also known as Badarikashrama.
See also
edit- Date palm – Palm tree cultivated for its sweet fruit
References
edit- ^ "Ziziphus jujuba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63538A12688176. 2007. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63538A12688176.en. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Ziziphus jujuba Mill". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ a b National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp. 120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ a b "jujube". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "Ziziphus jujuba". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Pasiecznik, N (7 January 2022). Ziziphus mauritiana (jujube) (Report). doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.57556.
- ^ a b c Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
- ^ Kurihara, Y. (1992). "Characteristics of antisweet substances, sweet proteins, and sweetness-inducing proteins". Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 32 (3): 231–252. doi:10.1080/10408399209527598. PMID 1418601.
- ^ Mahajan, R.; Chopda, M. (8 August 2017). "Phyto-Pharmacology of Ziziphus jujuba Mill- A Plant Review". Pharmacognosy Reviews: 320–329. S2CID 93775396.
- ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert. "A Greek-English Lexicon, ζίζυ^φον". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "jojoba". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ Clarke, D. L. (1988). W. J. Bean Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, Supplement. John Murray ISBN 0-7195-4443-2.
- ^ Kirkbride, Joseph H.; Wiersma, John H.; Turland, Nicholas J. (2006). "(1753) Proposal to conserve the name Ziziphus jujuba against Z. zizyphus (Rhamnaceae)". Taxon. 55 (4). International Association for Plant Taxonomy: 1049–1050. doi:10.2307/25065716. JSTOR 25065716.
- ^ Barrie, Fred R. (2011). "Report of the General Committee: 11". Taxon. 60 (4). International Association for Plant Taxonomy: 1211–1214. doi:10.1002/tax.604026.
- ^ S. Chaudhary. "Rhamnaceae" in: S. Chaudhary (Ed). Flora of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vol II (Part One) 2001.
- ^ "JUJUBE". www.crfg.org. 23 March 2023.
- ^ Fruit Facts: Jujube Archived 1 November 1996 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Fact Sheet: False codling moth - Citrus Pests". idtools.org.
- ^ Gupta, Anil K. "Origin of agriculture and domestication of plants and animals linked to early Holocene climate amelioration", Current Science, Vol. 87, No. 1, 10 July 2004, 54-59. Indian Academy of Sciences.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Edward T. Hager. "Jujubes: Plant Care and Collection of Varieties". garden.org. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ^ "Rare Fruit: Jujubes". Seasonalchef.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ United States Department of the Army (2009). The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364.
- ^ a b c Lim, T. K. (2013). Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. Vol. 5, Fruits. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 580. ISBN 978-9400756526.
- ^ auntysg (13 December 2024). "Dear Tired Moms, Discover the Magic of Red Dates Tea". aunty.sg. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Burton, Sir Richard Francis (1855) A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah pp.404,405
- ^ a b Easton, Matthew George (1893). . London, Edinburgh and New York: T. Nelson and Sons. p. 688 – via Wikisource.
It overruns a great part of the Jordan valley
- ^ Crowfoot, M. Grace with Louise Baldenserger (1932) From Cedar to Hyssop. A study in the Folklore of Plants in Palestine. The Sheldon Press, London. pp.112,113
- ^ "Kamala's Corner: Indian Jujube – Elanthai Pazham". Kamalascorner.com. 25 December 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ "The tiny Italian town that drinks like ancient Rome and Greece". www.bbc.com.
- ^ Schremmer, Jessica (14 August 2020). "Jujube growers find innovative ways to turn waste into sustainable new products". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
- ^ "山东乐陵：科技发力，一颗小枣展现N种味道". www.stdaily.com. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ Government, Information Office of LaoLing Municipal. "China Laoling Deeply Cultivates the Jujube Industry, Driving Jujube Farmers to Increase Income and Become Rich". www.prnewswire.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ Goetz, P. (2009). "Mise en évidence d'un effet psychotrope de la teinture mère de Zizyphus jujuba Mill". Phytothérapie. 7: 31–36. doi:10.1007/s10298-008-0362-7. S2CID 34867692.
- ^ Jiang, Jian-Guo; Huang, Xiao-Juan; Chen, Jian; Lin, Qing-Sheng (2007). "Comparison of the sedative and hypnotic effects of flavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides extracted from Semen Ziziphus jujube" (PDF). Natural Product Research. 21 (4): 310–320. doi:10.1080/14786410701192827. PMID 17479419. S2CID 7886008.
- ^ Martin, Laura C. (2007). Tea: the Drink that Changed the World. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-8048-3724-8.
- ^ "edX Course: HarvardX: HUM1.3x Print and Manuscript in Western Europe, Asia and the Middle East (1450-1650) > Comparandum: Printing in East Asia > Main Technology: Xylography". edX. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ Abdullah, Yusuf Ali (1946) The Holy Qur-an. Text, Translation and Commentary, Qatar National Printing Press. p.1139, n. 3814.
- ^ Stephen Lambden. "The Sidrah (Lote-Tree) and the Sidrat al-Muntaha (Lote-Tree of the Extremity): Some Apects of their Islamic and Bābī-Bahā'ī Iintepretations". Archived from the original on 6 September 2004. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
This is apparently the wild jujube or Zizyphus spina-christi (Christ's thorn), a tall, stout, tropical tree (see image above) with dense prickly branches which produces a sweet reddish fruit similar to that of the jujube (the 'unnāb = Zizyphus vulgaris / fruit)
- ^ "The Tree of Knowledge". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Genesis 2:10–2:14: "A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. [...] The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates."
- ^ Books, Kausiki (24 October 2021). Skanda Purana: Vaishnava Khanda: Badrinath Kshetra Mahatmya: English Translation only without Slokas. Kausiki Books. p. 13.
Further reading
edit- Fruits of Warm Climates. Julia. F. Morton, Yan Lin Aung, FL: 1986.
