jujuba

Jujuba, or jujube, refers to the fruit of Ziziphus jujuba, a deciduous tree in the buckthorn family native to China. The name is also used for the tree and its fruit in various regions, and the fresh fruit is often called Chinese date.

Ziziphus jujuba is cultivated across Asia and in warm temperate regions around the world. The tree is typically small to medium in size, reaching about 5–15 meters in height. The fruit is oval and about 1–3 cm long, with a skin that changes from green to yellowish or reddish brown as it ripens. When dried, the fruit wrinkles and darkens, resembling a small date. The species is relatively drought-tolerant and thrives in sunny, well-drained soils.

Culinary use centers on both fresh and dried fruit. Fresh jujube is crisp and mildly sweet, sometimes eaten out of hand or used in salads and desserts. Dried jujube is a common snack in East Asia and appears in soups, congee, and confections. Nutritionally, the fruit provides carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals such as potassium, with vitamin content that varies by cultivar and growing conditions.

In confectionery, the term jujuba can also denote a chewy candy known as jujubes in English. These candies are fruit-flavored, sugar-coated or dusted, and produced in a variety of shapes and textures by manufacturers around the world. The dual use of the term reflects both the edible fruit and the popular candy derived from it.