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Ziziphus zizyphus
(from
Greek ζίζυφον - zizuphon[1],
syn. Z. jujuba, Rhamnus zizyphus),
commonly called Jujube, Red Date, or
Chinese Date, is a species of
Ziziphus in the buckthorn
family
Rhamnaceae, used primarily for its fruits.
Its precise natural
distribution is uncertain due to extensive
cultivation, but is thought to be in southern
Asia, between
Syria, northern
India, and southern and central
China, and possibly also southeastern
Europe though more likely introduced there.[2]
It is a small deciduous tree
or shrub reaching a height of 5-10 m, usually with
thorny branches. The
leaves are shiny-green, ovate-acute, 2-7 cm long
and 1-3 cm broad, with three conspicuous veins at
the base, and a finely toothed margin. The flowers
are small, 5 mm diameter, with five inconspicuous
yellowish-green petals. The fruit is an edible oval
drupe 1.5-3 cm long; when immature it is
smooth-green, with the consistency and taste of an
apple, maturing dark red to purplish-black and
eventually wrinkled, looking like a small date.
There is a single hard stone similar to an olive
stone.[2]
Nomenclature
The species has a curious
nomenclatural history, due to a combination of
botanical naming regulations, and variations in
spelling. It was first described scientifically by
Carolus Linnaeus as Rhamnus zizyphus, in
Species Plantarum in 1753. Later, in 1768,
Philip Miller concluded it was sufficiently
distinct from
Rhamnus to merit separation into a new
genus, in which he named it Ziziphus jujube,
using Linnaeus' species name for the genus but with
a probably accidental single letter spelling
difference, 'i' for 'y'; 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
correctly using the earliest species name (from
Linnaeus) with the new genus, Ziziphus zizyphus,
is not a tautonym, and therefore permitted as
a botanical name; this combination was made by
Hermann Karsten in 1882.[3][2]
Cultivation and uses
Jujube was domesticated in the
Indian subcontinent by 9000 BCE.[4]
Over 400
cultivars have been selected.
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.
This enables the jujube to grow in desert habitats,
provided there is access to underground water
through the summer. Virtually no temperature seems
to be too high in summertime.
Medicinal use*
The fruits are used in Chinese
and Korean
traditional medicine, where they are believed to
alleviate stress. The jujube-based Australian
drink
1-bil avoids making specific stress-related
claims, but does suggest drinking 1-bil "when you
feel yourself becoming distressed".[5]
Ziziphin, a compound in the leaves of the
jujube, suppresses the ability to perceive sweet
taste in humans.[6]
The fruit, being
mucilaginous, is also very soothing to the
throat and decoctions of jujube have often been used
in pharmacy to treat sore throats.
The freshly harvested as well
as the candied dried fruits are often eaten as a
snack, or with tea. They are available either red or
black (called hóng zǎo or hēi zǎo,
respectively, in Chinese), the latter being smoked
to enhance their flavour
[2]. In mainland China, Korea, and Taiwan, a
sweetened tea syrup containing jujube fruits is
available in glass jars,photo
and canned jujube tea or jujube tea in the form of
teabags is also available. Although not widely
available, jujube juice[3]
and jujube vinegar (called
枣醋
or
红枣醋
in Chinese) are also produced.
In China, a wine made from
jujubes called hong zao jiu (红枣酒) is also
produced.[4]
Jujubes are sometimes preserved by storing 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 jiu zao (酒枣; literally "spirited
jujube"). In Korea, jujubes are called daechu (대추)
and are used in teas. It is said to be helpful in
aiding the common cold.
In addition, jujubes, often
stoned, are a significant ingredient in a wide
variety of Chinese delicacies. In Persian cuisine,
the dried drupes are known as annab.
Other uses
The jujube's sweet smell is
said to make teenagers fall in love, and as a
result, in the Himalaya and Karakoram regions, men
take a stem of sweet-smelling jujube flowers with
them or put it on their hats to attract women.
In the traditional Chinese
wedding ceremony, jujube and walnut were often
placed in the newlyweds' bedroom as a sign of
fertility.
In Bhutan, the leaves are used
as a potpourri to help keep the houses of the
inhabitants smelling fresh and clean. It is also
said to keep bugs and other insects out of the house
and free of infestation.
In Japan, the natsume
has given its name to a style of tea caddy used in
the Japanese tea ceremony.
In Korea, the wood is used to
make the body of the taepyeongso, a
double-reed wind instrument.
In Vietnam, the jujube fruit
is eaten freshly picked from the tree as a snack. It
is also dried and used in desserts, such as sâm
bổ lượng, a cold beverage that includes the
dried jujube, longan, fresh seaweed, barley, and
lotus seeds.
Jujube Fruit
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