View source for Jujube

{{Short description|Species of plant with edible fruit}}
{{About||the candy|Jujube (confectionery)}}
{{redirect|Jujubee|the person|Jujubee (drag queen)}}
{{Distinguish|Jojoba}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Ziziphus jujuba.jpg
| image_caption = ''Ziziphus jujuba'', [[habitus (biology)|habitus]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63538A12688176.en |title=''Ziziphus jujuba'' |page=e.T63538A12688176 |year=2007 |access-date=25 April 2021 }}</ref>
| genus = Ziziphus
| species = jujuba
| authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
| synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |
*''Girtanneria jujuba'' {{small|(Mill.) Neck.}}
*''Jububa mediterranea'' {{small|Bubani}}
*''Mansana arborea'' {{small|J.F.Gmel.}}
*''Paliurus lucidus'' {{small|Carrière}}
*''Rhamnus circumcissa'' {{small|Russell ex Wall.}}
*''Rhamnus lucida'' {{small|Salisb.}}
*''Rhamnus mauritiana'' {{small|Soy.-Will.}}
*''Rhamnus soporifera'' {{small|Lour.}}
*''Rhamnus vulgaris'' {{small|Pers.}}
*''Rhamnus zizyphus'' {{small|L.}}
*''Ziziphus acidojujuba'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus acidojujuba'' f. ''granulata'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus acidojujuba'' f. ''infecunda'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus acidojujuba'' f. ''trachysperma'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus chinensis'' {{small|Spreng.}}
*''Ziziphus flexuosa'' {{small|Wall.}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''allochroa'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''apyrena'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''carnosicalycis'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''heteroformis'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' var. ''inermis'' {{small|(Bunge) Rehder}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''lageniformis'' {{small|(Nakai) Kitag.}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba subsp. spinosa'' {{small|(Bunge) J.Y.Peng, X.Y.Li & L.Li}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' var. ''spinosa'' {{small|(Bunge) Hu ex H.F.Chow}}
*''Ziziphus jujuba'' f. ''tortuosa'' {{small|C.Y.Cheng & M.J.Liu}}
*''Ziziphus melanogona'' {{small|Bojer}}
*''Ziziphus natsme'' {{small|Siebold}}
*''Ziziphus nitida'' {{small|Roxb.}}
*''Ziziphus officinarum'' {{small|Medik.}}
*''Ziziphus sativa'' {{small|Gaertn.}}
*''Ziziphus sativa'' var. ''inermis'' {{small|(Bunge) C.K.Schneid.}}
*''Ziziphus sativa'' var. ''lageniformis'' {{small|Nakai}}
*''Ziziphus sativa'' var. ''spinosa'' {{small|(Bunge) C.K.Schneid.}}
*''Ziziphus sinensis'' {{small|Lam.}}
*''Ziziphus soporifera'' {{small|(Lour.) Duhamel}}
*''Ziziphus sororia'' {{small|Schult.}}
*''Ziziphus spinosa'' {{small|(Bunge) Hu ex F.H.Chen}}
*''Ziziphus trinervia'' {{small|Roth}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' {{small|Lam.}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' var. ''inermis'' {{small|Bunge}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' var. ''macrocarpa'' {{small|Risso}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' var. ''oblonga'' {{small|Risso}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' var. ''praecox'' {{small|Risso}}
*''Ziziphus vulgaris'' var. ''spinosa'' {{small|Bunge}}
*''Ziziphus zizyphus'' {{small|(L.) H.Karst.}}
*''Zizyphon jujubum'' {{small|(Mill.) St.-Lag.}}
 }}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="POWO_719213-1" >{{cite POWO |id=719213-1 |title=''Ziziphus jujuba'' Mill. |access-date=9 November 2024 }}</ref>
}}
{{nutritional value
| name = Jujube, raw
| image = Azufaifas (fcm).jpg
| caption = Fresh jujube fruit
| water = 77.86 g
| kJ = 331
| protein = 1.2 g
| fat = 0.2 g
| carbs = 20.23 g
| calcium_mg = 21
| iron_mg = 0.48
| magnesium_mg = 10
| phosphorus_mg = 23
| potassium_mg = 250
| sodium_mg = 3
| zinc_mg = 0.05
| manganese_mg = 0.084
| vitC_mg = 69
| thiamin_mg = 0.02
| riboflavin_mg = 0.04
| niacin_mg = 0.9
| vitB6_mg = 0.081
| vitA_ug = 40
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168151/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
{{nutritional value
| name = Jujube, dried
| image = Ziziphus jujuba MS 2461.JPG
| caption = Jujube fruit naturally turns red upon drying.
| water = 19.7 g
| kJ = 1201
| protein = 3.7 g
| fat = 1.1 g
| carbs = 73.6 g
| calcium_mg = 79
| iron_mg = 1.8
| magnesium_mg = 37
| phosphorus_mg = 100
| potassium_mg = 531
| sodium_mg = 9
| zinc_mg = 0.19
| manganese_mg = 0.305
| vitC_mg = 13
| thiamin_mg = 0.21
| riboflavin_mg = 0.36
| niacin_mg = 0.5
| vitB6_mg = 0
| vitA_ug = 0
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168152/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
{{stack end}}

'''Jujube''' (UK {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|uː|dʒ|uː|b}}; US {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|u|dʒ|u|b}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|u|dʒ|@|b|iː}}<ref name=":0" />), sometimes '''jujuba''', scientific name '''''Ziziphus jujuba''''', and also called '''red date''', '''Chinese date''', and '''Chinese jujube''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | access-date = 11 December 2017 }}</ref> is a species in the genus ''[[Ziziphus]]'' in the buckthorn family [[Rhamnaceae]]. It is often confused with the closely related Indian jujube, ''[[Ziziphus mauritiana|Z.{{nbsp}}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.<ref>{{Cite report |title=''Ziziphus mauritiana'' (jujube) |last=Pasiecznik |first=N |date=7 January 2022 |doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.57556 |language=en |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Description==
It is a small [[deciduous tree]] or [[shrub]] reaching a height of {{convert|5|–|12|m|abbr=off}}, usually with thorny branches. The [[leaves]] are shiny-green, ovate-acute, {{convert|2|–|7|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} long and {{cvt|1|–|3|cm|frac=8}} wide, with three conspicuous veins at the base, and a finely toothed margin. The [[flower]]s are small, {{convert|5|mm|frac=8}} wide, with five inconspicuous yellowish-green petals. The fruit is an edible oval [[drupe]] {{cvt|1.5|–|3|cm|frac=8}} 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 palm|date]]. There is a single hard kernel, similar to an [[olive|olive pit]],<ref name="rushforth" /> containing two seeds.
{{gallery|mode=packed
|Ziziphus jujuba1.jpg|Bark
|Zizyphus jujuba Blanco1.59.png|Plate from the book ''[[Flora de Filipinas]]''
|Alb-Z. jujuba-leav-4.jpg|Leaf margin
|Alb-Z. jujuba-flow-8.jpg|Flowers
|Alb-Z. jujuba-flow-2.jpg|Close-up of flowers
|Alb-Z. jujuba-fruit-2.jpg|Fruit
||Raw fruit in [[Bangladesh]]
|Ziziphus zizyphus fruit inside.jpeg|Fruit cross section
||}}

=== Chemistry ===
Leaves contain [[saponin]] and [[ziziphin]], which suppresses the ability to perceive sweet taste.<ref name="crfsn-32-231">{{cite journal |last=Kurihara |first=Y. |year=1992 |title=Characteristics of antisweet substances, sweet proteins, and sweetness-inducing proteins |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=231–252 |doi=10.1080/10408399209527598 |pmid=1418601 }}</ref>

[[Flavinoid]]s found in the fruits include [[Kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside]], [[Quercetine 3-O-robinobioside]], [[Quercetine 3-O-rutinoside]]. [[Terpenoid]]s such as [[colubrinic acid]] and [[alphitolic acid]] were found in the fruits.<ref name="Mahajan Chopda 2017 p.">{{cite journal |last1=Mahajan |first1=R. |last2=Chopda |first2=M. |date=8 August 2017 |title=Phyto-Pharmacology of ''Ziziphus jujuba'' Mill- A Plant Review |journal=[[Pharmacognosy Reviews]] |pages=320–329 |s2cid=93775396 }}</ref><!--- Not necessarily good review source however both Pawlowska et al 2009 and Lee et al 2003 are also cited by https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf4007032 which is. --->

==Taxonomy==
The ultimate source of the name is [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|ζίζυφον}} ''zízyphon''.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Henry George |last1=Liddell |first2=Robert |last2=Scott |title=A Greek-English Lexicon, ζίζυ^φον |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=zi/zufon |access-date=13 February 2023 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu }}</ref> This was borrowed into [[Classical Latin]] as {{lang|la|zizyphum}} (used for the fruit) and {{lang|la|zizyphus}} (the tree). A descendant of the Latin word into a Romance language, which may have been French {{lang|fr|jujube}} or [[medieval Latin]] {{lang|la|jujuba}}, in turn gave rise to the common English ''jujube''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite OED|jujube }}</ref> This name is not related to [[jojoba]], which is a loan from Spanish {{lang|es|jojoba}}, itself borrowed from ''hohohwi'', the name of that plant in the [[Oʼodham language]].<ref>{{Cite OED|jojoba }}</ref>

The binomial name has a complex history, due to a combination of botanical [[International Code of Botanical Nomenclature|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 (plant)|Rhamnus]]'' to be placed in a separate genus (as it had already been by the pre-Linnaean author [[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort|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 [[tautonymy|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 [[Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten|Hermann Karsten]] in 1882.<ref name="rushforth" /><ref name="clarke">Clarke, D. L. (1988). ''W. J. Bean Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles'', Supplement. John Murray {{ISBN|0-7195-4443-2}}.</ref> In 2006, a proposal was made to suppress the name ''Ziziphus zizyphus'' in favor of ''Ziziphus jujuba'',<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kirkbride |first1=Joseph H. |last2=Wiersma |first2=John H. |last3=Turland |first3=Nicholas J. |year=2006 |title=(1753) Proposal to conserve the name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' against ''Z. zizyphus'' (Rhamnaceae) |journal=Taxon |publisher=International Association for Plant Taxonomy |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=1049–1050 |doi=10.2307/25065716 |jstor=25065716 |bibcode=2006Taxon..55.1049K }}</ref> and this proposal was accepted in 2011.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barrie |first1=Fred R. |year=2011 |title=Report of the General Committee: 11 |journal=Taxon |publisher=International Association for Plant Taxonomy |volume=60 |issue=4 |pages=1211–1214 |doi=10.1002/tax.604026 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2011Taxon..60.1211B }}</ref> ''Ziziphus jujuba'' is thus the correct scientific name for this species.

==Distribution and habitat==
Its 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 China|southern]] and [[central China]], [[Korea]] and [[Japan]], and possibly also southeastern Europe though more likely introduced there.<ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins {{ISBN|0-00-220013-9}}.</ref> 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 {{convert|−15|°C}}, 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.<ref>S. Chaudhary. "Rhamnaceae" in: S. Chaudhary (Ed). ''Flora of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia''. Vol II (Part One) 2001.</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=JUJUBE |url=https://crfg.org/?s=jujube |website=www.crfg.org |date=23 March 2023 }}</ref>

==Ecology==
[[File:Jujube dates worm2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Jujube date attacked by an insect larva]]

[[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.<ref>Fruit Facts: [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jujube.html Jujube] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961101124759/http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jujube.html |date=1 November 1996 }}</ref> 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''.<ref name="citruspests">{{cite web |title=Fact Sheet: False codling moth - Citrus Pests |url=http://idtools.org/id/citrus/pests/factsheet.php?name=False+codling+moth |website=idtools.org }}</ref>

In Madagascar, it is widely eaten by free-ranging [[zebu]]s, and its seeds grow easily in zebu feces.
{{Clear-left}}

== Cultivation ==
Jujube was domesticated in South Asia by 9000 BC.<ref name=gupta54>Gupta, Anil K. [http://repository.ias.ac.in/21961/1/333.pdf "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.</ref> Over 400 [[cultivar]]s have been selected.

The fruit, when the plant is kept as a garden shrub, is picked in the autumn.

===Varieties===
* Chico (also called GI 7-62) developed by the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) in the 1950s<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Li, major commercial variety in the US<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Shanxi li, very large fruit<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Lang, major commercial variety in the US<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Sherwood <ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Silverhill (also known as Yu and Tigertooth) can be grown in areas with high humidity<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* So<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Shui Men<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* GA 866<ref name="Gardens.org" >{{cite web |url=https://garden.org/plants/group/jujubes/ |title=Jujubes: Plant Care and Collection of Varieties |website=garden.org |author=Edward T. Hager |access-date=5 July 2017 }}</ref>
* Honey jar, small juicy fruit<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Sugar cane<ref name="Gardens.org" />
* Winter delight, major commercial variety in China<ref name="Gardens.org" />

== Uses ==
[[File:HK 紅磡 Hung Hom Cheong Wan Road 置富都會 Fortune Metropolis 商場 shopping mall shop 彩福皇宴 Choi Fook Royal Banquet Seafood Restaurant food 飯後租品 dessert 紅棗糕 steamed red dates cake November 2022 Px3 02.jpg|thumb|Steamed jujube cakes in a ''[[zhenglong]]'']]

=== Culinary ===
Freshly harvested and 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.seasonalchef.com/jujubes.htm |title=Rare Fruit: Jujubes |publisher=Seasonalchef.com |access-date=1 August 2010 |archive-date=29 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129185256/http://seasonalchef.com/jujubes.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> A drink can be made by crushing the pulp in water.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277203364 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |author=[[United States Department of the Army]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=45 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364 }}</ref> 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#Fruit|vinegar]] (called [[wikt:枣|枣]][[wikt:醋|醋]] or [[wikt:红枣|紅枣]][[wikt:醋|醋]] in Chinese). They are used for making [[South Asian pickle|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'' (紅枣酒).

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.<ref name="LIM"/> 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.<ref name="LIM">{{Cite book |last=Lim |first=T. K. |year=2013 |title=Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants |volume=5, Fruits |publisher=Springer Science+Business Media |location=Dordrecht |isbn=978-9400756526 |pages=580 }}</ref>

In Korea, jujubes are called ''daechu'' (대추) and are used in ''[[daechucha]]'', ''[[yakshik]]'' and ''[[samgyetang]]''.

On his visit to [[Medina]], 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)."<ref>[[Richard Francis Burton|Burton, Sir Richard Francis]] (1855) ''A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah'' pp.404,405</ref> A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in the [[Jordan Valley (Middle East)|Jordan valley]] and around [[Jerusalem]].<ref name=easton/> 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.<ref>[[Grace Crowfoot|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</ref>

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.&nbsp;jujuba''. Rather, ''ber'' is used for three other cultivated or wild species, e.g., ''[[Ziziphus spina-christi|Z.&nbsp;spina-christi]]'', ''[[Ziziphus mauritiana|Z.&nbsp;mauritiana]]'' and ''[[Ziziphus nummularia|Z.&nbsp;nummularia]]'' in parts of India and is eaten both fresh and dried.{{Clarification needed|reason=Which species?|date=June 2022}} The Arabic name ''sidr'' is used for ''Ziziphus'' species other than ''Z.&nbsp;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 language|Telugu]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kamalascorner.com/2008/12/indian-jujube-elanthai-pazham.html |title=Kamala's Corner: Indian Jujube – Elanthai Pazham |date=25 December 2008 |publisher=Kamalascorner.com |access-date=1 August 2010 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="LIM"/>

Italy has an alcoholic syrup called ''brodo di giuggiole''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231204-the-tiny-italian-town-that-drinks-like-ancient-rome-and-greece |title=The tiny Italian town that drinks like ancient Rome and Greece |website=www.bbc.com |date=6 December 2023 }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schremmer |first1=Jessica |title=Jujube growers find innovative ways to turn waste into sustainable new products |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-14/jujube-farmers-turn-waste-fruit-into-pantry-staple/12534778 |newspaper=ABC News |date=14 August 2020 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=8 May 2022 }}</ref>

The [[Jujube (confectionery)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=山东乐陵：科技发力，一颗小枣展现N种味道 |url=https://www.stdaily.com/web/gdxw/2024-09/08/content_226386.html |access-date=7 November 2024 |website=www.stdaily.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Government |first=Information Office of LaoLing Municipal |title=China Laoling Deeply Cultivates the Jujube Industry, Driving Jujube Farmers to Increase Income and Become Rich |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-laoling-deeply-cultivates-the-jujube-industry-driving-jujube-farmers-to-increase-income-and-become-rich-301644257.html |access-date=7 November 2024 |website=www.prnewswire.co.uk |language=en }}</ref>

===Traditional Chinese medicine===
{{more medical citations needed|section|date=October 2012}}The fruit and its seeds are used in [[Traditional Chinese Medicine]], [[Traditional Korean Medicine]] and [[Kampo]] for many purposes. Some investigational research indicates possibilities related to their traditional use to alleviate stress<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10298-008-0362-7 |doi=10.1007/s10298-008-0362-7 |title=Mise en évidence d'un effet psychotrope de la teinture mère de Zizyphus jujuba Mill |year=2009 |last1=Goetz |first1=P. |journal=Phytothérapie |volume=7 |pages=31–36 |s2cid=34867692 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and for sedation.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.americanbiosciences.com/pdf/Ziziphusstudy.pdf |title=Comparison of the sedative and hypnotic effects of flavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides extracted from Semen ''Ziziphus jujube'' |year=2007 |last1=Jiang |first1=Jian-Guo |last2=Huang |first2=Xiao-Juan |last3=Chen |first3=Jian |last4=Lin |first4=Qing-Sheng |journal=Natural Product Research |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=310–320 |pmid=17479419 |s2cid=7886008 |doi=10.1080/14786410701192827 }}</ref> 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|date=August 2024|reason=Needs citations to support any description as effective medication and for these being the uses in this system.}}

The fruit contains many different healthy properties like vitamins and amino acids{{Citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=Nutritional info should be relatively easy to find if this is true, but is not included here.}}.

===Other uses===
In Japan, the ''natsume'' has given its name to a style of [[chaki#Usucha-ki / natsume|tea caddy]] used in the [[Japanese tea ceremony]], due to the similar shape.<ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Laura C. |title=Tea: the Drink that Changed the World |year=2007 |publisher=Tuttle |location=Rutland, Vermont |isbn=978-0-8048-3724-8 |page=91 }}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=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 |url=https://www.edx.org/course/the-book-print-and-manuscript-in-western-europe-as |access-date=13 February 2023 |website=edX |language=en }}</ref>{{verification needed|date=June 2023}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=This whole paragraph could easily be a related topic of interest, but there is no way to verify or explore it further.}}

== Culture ==
In Arabic-speaking regions the jujube and alternatively the species ''[[Ziziphus lotus|Z.&nbsp;lotus]]'' are closely related to the [[Sidrat al-Muntaha|lote-trees]] (sing. سدرة ''sidrah'', pl.  سدر ''sidr'') which are mentioned in the [[Quran]],<ref>[[Abdullah Yusuf Ali|Abdullah, Yusuf Ali]] (1946) ''The Holy Qur-an. Text, Translation and Commentary'', Qatar National Printing Press. p.1139, n. 3814.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Stephen Lambden |title=The Sidrah (Lote-Tree) and the Sidrat al-Muntaha (Lote-Tree of the Extremity): Some Apects of their Islamic and Bābī-Bahā'ī Iintepretations. |url=http://www.hurqalya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/baha'i%20encyclopedia/SIDRAH-SIDRAT-BE.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906133000/http://www.hurqalya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/baha'i%20encyclopedia/SIDRAH-SIDRAT-BE.htm |archive-date=6 September 2004 |access-date=9 December 2015 |quote=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) }}</ref> while in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] the species ''Z.&nbsp;spina-christi'' is called ''sidr''.<ref name=easton>{{cite wikisource |wslink=Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)/R-Z |last=Easton |first=Matthew George |title=Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature |publisher=[[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|T. Nelson and Sons]] |year=1893 |location=London, Edinburgh and New York |page=688 |author-link=Matthew George Easton |quote=It overruns a great part of the Jordan valley }}</ref>

An ancient jujube tree in the city [[Al-Qurnah]], [[Iraq]], is claimed by locals as the [[Tree of the knowledge of good and evil|Tree of Knowledge]] mentioned in the Bible.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Tree of Knowledge |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tree-knowledge |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602025544/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tree-knowledge |archive-date=2 June 2021 |access-date=14 July 2021 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=July 2021|reason=Article doesn't mention jujube and says tree is of unknown species}} 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]] [[Genesis creation narrative|creation narrative]] says that a river flowed from the garden and split into [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] rivers,<ref>{{Bibleverse|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."</ref> 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 [[Badrinath Temple|major temple]], in [[Badrinath]], from the Sanskrit compound Badarīnātha, consisting of the terms ''badarī'' (jujube tree) and ''nātha'' (lord), an epithet of [[Vishnu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Books |first=Kausiki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvxLEAAAQBAJ&dq=badrinath+lord+jujube&pg=PT13 |title=Skanda Purana: Vaishnava Khanda: Badrinath Kshetra Mahatmya: English Translation only without Slokas |date=24 October 2021 |publisher=Kausiki Books |pages=13 |language=en }}</ref> It is also known as Badarikashrama.

== See also ==
* {{annotated link|Date palm}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Further reading===
*''Fruits of Warm Climates''. [[Julia Morton|Julia. F. Morton]], Yan Lin Aung, FL: 1986.
{{Commons category|Ziziphus jujuba|position=left}}

==External links==
*[https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1932/1 Nutritional data for the jujube]

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[[Category:Ziziphus]]
[[Category:Fruits originating in Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of temperate Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of tropical Asia]]
[[Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate]]
[[Category:Dietary supplements]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine]]
[[Category:Iranian cuisine]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]
[[Category:Drought-tolerant trees]]
[[Category:Drupes]]