Jujube (UK/ˈdʒuːdʒuːb/; US/ˈdʒudʒub/ or/ˈdʒudʒəbiː/[5]), sometimesjujuba, scientific nameZiziphus jujuba, and also calledred date,Chinese date, andChinese jujube, is a species in the genusZiziphus in the buckthorn familyRhamnaceae.[2] It is often confused with the closely related Indian jujube,Z.mauritiana. The jujube tolerates a diverse range of climates, fromtemperate totropical. Its origin is thought to be in eastern Asia, but it has been widely dispersed through cultivation, and is today cultivated in gardens as a shrub as well as in agriculture as a food crop. They are eaten freshly harvested as well asdried and candied.
It is a smalldeciduous tree orshrub reaching a height of 5–10 metres (16–33 feet), usually with thorny branches. Theleaves are shiny-green, ovate-acute, 2–7 centimetres (3⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches) long and1–3 cm (3⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) wide, with three conspicuous veins at the base, and a finely toothed margin.[6] Leaves of trees grown in the climate region in Turkey measure average between 3.8–4.28 cm in length and 1.79–1.98 cm in width.[7] Theflowers are small,5 millimetres (1⁄4 in) wide, with five inconspicuous yellowish-green petals.
The fruit is an edible ovaldrupe1.5–3 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 smalldate. There is a single hard kernel, similar to anolive stone,[6] containing two seeds. Modern cultivated jujubes have kernels up to 3.8 times larger than those of wild jujubes.[8]
The ultimate source of the name isAncient Greekζίζυφονzízyphon.[11] This was borrowed intoClassical Latin aszizyphum (used for the fruit) andzizyphus (the tree). A descendant of the Latin word into a Romance language, which may have been Frenchjujube ormedieval Latinjujuba, in turn gave rise to the common Englishjujube.[5] The name jujube is not related tojojoba referring to a different unrelated speciesSimmondsia chinensis, which is a loan from Spanishjojoba, itself borrowed fromhohohwi, the name of that plant in theOʼodham language.[12]
The binomial name has a complex history, due to a combination of botanicalnaming regulations, and variations in spelling. It was first named in the binomial system byCarl Linnaeus asRhamnus zizyphus, inSpecies Plantarum (1753).Philip Miller, in hisGardener's Dictionary, considered that the jujube and its relatives were sufficiently distinct fromRhamnus to be placed in a separate genus (as it had already been by the pre-Linnaean authorTournefort in 1700), and in the 1768 edition he gave it the nameZiziphus jujuba (using Tournefort's spelling for the genus name). For the species name, he used a different name, astautonyms (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, isnot a tautonym, and was therefore permitted as a botanical name. This combination was made byHermann Karsten in 1882.[6][13] In 2006, a proposal was made to suppress the nameZiziphus zizyphus in favour ofZiziphus jujuba,[14] and this proposal was accepted in 2011.[15]Ziziphus jujuba is thus the correct scientific name for this species.
The fruit is also commonly known as red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube.[16] It is often confused with the closely related Indian jujube,Z.mauritiana.[17]
Its precise natural distribution is uncertain due to extensive cultivation. However, its origin is thought to be in eastern Asia, insouthern andcentral China, Korea, and Japan,[2] and possibly also southwestern Asia betweenLebanon,northern India, and southeastern Europe,[6] though more likely introduced there.[2]
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).[17] 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 orZ. jujuba grows in cool regions of Asia; five or more other species ofZiziphus on the other hand are widely distributed in milder climates to warmer deserts of Asia and Africa.[18][page needed]
This plant has been introduced inMadagascar and grows as aninvasive species in the western part of the island, threatening mostly protected areas. It is cultivated in parts of southern California.[19]
Chinese jujubes have been grown in parts of Asia for thousands of years.[20] Wild jujube kernels have been found in three sites on theQi River basin of northern China dating to theNeolithic period.[8] It may have originated inSyria, but was distributed across the Mediterranean region at least 3,000 years ago. Today, it is most widely grown in China.[21] The tree is tolerant of droughts and flooding, and can be cultivated on a large scale.[22]
Jujubes are grown as a garden shrub throughout most of the southern half of North America, doing particularly well in parts ofCalifornia. Cultivars include Li, Lang, Sherwood, Silverhill (also known as Tiger Tooth), So, Shui Men, and GA 866.[21]
Agricultural growers have started to plant Chinese jujubes in Australia since around 2000.[23] A family farm inRenmark, South Australia has been growing the fruit since 2015.[20] Seeka, the largest producer ofkiwi fruit andnashi pears in Australia, produces abundant crops of jujubes, and was looking at exporting some of its output as the dried product. In 2023 the company was planning to expand its production by planting around 40,000 jujube trees on its land nearShepparton, Victoria.[22] By mid-2025, there were about 60 growers and around 50,000 trees planted in Australia, according toAgriFutures Australia. Growers said that a national body was needed to establish export markets and create more public awareness of the fruit domestically.[20]
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.[24] In Europe, the last several years have seen some 80%–90% of the jujube crop eaten by insect larvae (see picture), including those of thefalse codling moth,Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta.[25]
Freshly harvested and candieddried fruit are often eaten as a snack or with coffee. Smoked jujubes are consumed in Vietnam and are referred to as black jujubes.[26] A drink can be made by crushing the pulp in water.[27] 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 jujubevinegar (called枣醋 or紅枣醋 in Chinese). They are used for makingpickles (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 calledhong zao jiu (紅枣酒).[citation needed]
Sometimes pieces of jujube fruit are preserved by storing them in a jar filled withbaijiu (Chinese liquor), which allows them to be kept fresh for a long time, especially through the winter. Such jujubes are calledzui 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).[citation needed]
In Vietnam and Taiwan, fully mature, nearly ripe fruit is harvested and sold on the local markets and also exported to Southeast Asian countries.[28] The dried fruit is used in desserts in China and Vietnam, such asching bo leung, a cold beverage that includes the dried jujube, longan, fresh seaweed, barley, and lotus seeds.[28]
On his visit toMedina, the 19th-century English explorer,Sir Richard Burton, observed that the local varieties of the fruit were 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)."[29] A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in theJordan valley and aroundJerusalem.[30] Thebedouin valued the fruit, calling itnabk. It could be dried and kept for winter or made into a paste which was used as bread.[31]
InPersian cuisine, the dried drupes are known asannab, while in neighboringArmenia, it is commonly eaten as a snack, and is known asunab. Confusion in the common name apparently is widespread. Theunab isZ. jujuba. Rather,ber is used for three other cultivated or wild species, e.g.,Z. spina-christi,Z. mauritiana andZ. nummularia in parts of India and is eaten both fresh and dried.[clarification needed] The Arabic namesidr is used forZiziphus species other thanZ. jujuba.[citation needed]
Traditionally in India, the fruits are dried in the sun and the hard seeds removed, after which the dried flesh is pounded withtamarind,red chillies, salt, andjaggery. In some parts of the Indian state ofTamil Nadu, fresh whole ripe fruit is crushed with the above ingredients and sun-dried to make cakes calledilanthai vadai orregi vadiyalu (Telugu).[32] It is also commonly consumed as a snack.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
In Madagascar, jujube fruit is eaten fresh or dried. People also use it to make jam. A jujube honey is produced in theAtlas Mountains of Morocco.[28]
Italy has an alcoholic syrup calledbrodo di giuggiole.[33]
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.[citation needed]
The fruit and its seeds are used inTraditional Chinese Medicine,Traditional Korean Medicine andKampo for many purposes. Some investigational research indicates possibilities related to their traditional use to alleviate stress[37] and for sedation.[38] 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]
In Japan, thenatsume has given its name to a style oftea caddy used in theJapanese tea ceremony, due to the similar shape.[39] 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 jujubewoodcut.[40][verification needed]
The timber is sometimes used for small items, such astuning 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.[citation needed]
In Arabic-speaking regions the jujube and alternatively the speciesZ. lotus are closely related to thelote-trees (sing. سدرةsidrah, pl. سدرsidr) which are mentioned in theQuran,[41][42] while inPalestine the speciesZ. spina-christi is calledsidr.[30]
Jujube tree is important inHinduism too asVishnu is worshipped in amajor temple, inBadrinath, from the Sanskrit compound Badarīnātha, consisting of the termsbadarī (jujube tree) andnātha (lord), an epithet ofVishnu.[45] It is also known as Badarikashrama.
^Clarke, D. L. (1988).W. J. Bean Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, Supplement. John MurrayISBN0-7195-4443-2.
^Kirkbride, Joseph H.; Wiersma, John H.; Turland, Nicholas J. (2006). "(1753) Proposal to conserve the nameZiziphus jujuba againstZ. zizyphus (Rhamnaceae)".Taxon.55 (4). International Association for Plant Taxonomy:1049–1050.Bibcode:2006Taxon..55.1049K.doi:10.2307/25065716.JSTOR25065716.
^abcLim, T. K. (2013).Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. Vol. 5, Fruits. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 580.ISBN978-94-007-5652-6.
^Crowfoot, M. Grace withLouise Baldenserger (1932)From Cedar to Hyssop. A study in the Folklore of Plants in Palestine. The Sheldon Press, London. pp.112,113
^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."
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