Jujube

Ziziphus jujuba, the jujube, Chinese jujube, red date or Chinese date, is a small deciduous tree or shrub of the buckthorn family, 5 to 10 metres tall, usually with thorny branches and shiny green leaves marked by three veins. It is often confused with the closely related Indian jujube, Z. mauritiana. Its origin is thought to be eastern Asia, but cultivation has spread it widely. The fruit ripens from smooth green, with the texture and taste of a low-acid apple, to brown or purplish-black and wrinkled, looking like a small date, and holds one hard kernel with two seeds. It is eaten fresh, dried, candied or smoked, and is made into desserts, jam and drinks. The fruit and its seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Korean medicine and Kampo. The leaves contain saponin and ziziphin, which suppresses the perception of sweet taste.