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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. A drink can be made by crushing the pulp in water. 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 (called
枣醋 or
紅枣醋 in Chinese). They are used for making
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. 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)." A hundred years ago, a close variety was common in the
Jordan valley and around
Jerusalem. 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. jujuba. Rather,
ber is used for three other cultivated or wild species, e.g.,
Z. spina-christi,
Z. mauritiana and
Z. nummularia in parts of India and is eaten both fresh and dried. The Arabic name
sidr is used for
Ziziphus species other than
Z. 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). 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. 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. In Australia jujube beer is made. The
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.
Traditional Chinese medicine 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 and for sedation. 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. The fruit contains many different healthy properties like vitamins and amino acids.
Other uses In Japan, the
natsume has given its name to a style of
tea caddy used in the
Japanese tea ceremony, due to the similar shape. 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. 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. == Culture ==