The jujube fruit is a small, red, date-like fruit that is native to China that has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. It is also known as the Chinese date or red date. I was raised in Hollywood, California. My mom was a movie reviewer on radio KMPC and used to take me to movie premiers on the Boulevard 2 or 3 times a week from 1953 until 1959. Although I enjoyed Charms candy drops and the occasional Big Hunk, 9 times out of 10 I got a box of Jujubes. For a time, the collection of flavors that came in one box included cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and a licorice flavor, but these flavors were eventually swapped out as well.

Hoffman's Albany Directory, and City Register, for the Years ..." L. G. Hoffman. 28 August 2018 – via Google Books. In addition, jujube fruits contain carbs in the form of natural sugars, which provide your body energy. Another study found that jujube lignins, a type of fiber with antioxidant properties, promoted the production of immune cells and increased the rate at which these cells neutralized harmful compounds ( 17).

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When Jujubes first came out, the original flavor line-up included violet, rose, lilac, lemon, and spearmint. Over the years, due to the availability and popularity of flavors, these were swapped out with other flavors. Antioxidants are compounds that can prevent and reverse damage caused by excess free radicals ( 5).

In the 1920s, Jujubes underwent a transformation in both flavor and texture. The candy was reformulated to have a softer and chewier consistency, making it more enjoyable to eat. Additionally, the flavors were enhanced, resulting in a variety of fruity tastes that became the hallmark of Jujubes. The commercial jujube candy popular in movie theaters originally contained jujube juice but now uses other flavorings. 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.Henry Heide’s company produced Jujubes and Jujyfruits for several decades and it remained a family business until 1995, when the company was sold by his grandson Philip Heide to Hershey’s. Jujube fruits are rich in several antioxidant compounds, primarily flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids. They also contain high levels of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant as well ( 4). 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. [15] 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. [16] In Croatia, especially Dalmatia, jujubes are used in marmalades, juices, and rakija (fruit brandy).

One animal study found that the antioxidant activity of jujube flavonoids helped reduce stress and inflammation caused by free radical damage in the liver ( 8). In Vietnam and Taiwan, fully mature, nearly ripe fruit is harvested and sold on the local markets and also exported to Southeast Asian countries. [21] 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. [21] Plus, test-tube studies have found that jujube extracts kill several types of cancer cells, including ovarian, cervical, breast, liver, colon, and skin cancer cells ( 20, 21, 22, 23). 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. [7] Taxonomy [ edit ]

Jujubes

What’s more, jujube extracts may help strengthen the lining of your stomach and intestines, decreasing your risk of damage from ulcers, injury, and harmful bacteria that may reside in your gut ( 29). 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)." [22] A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in the Jordan valley and around Jerusalem. [23] 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. [24] 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. [21]