Pages

▼

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Jujube a Day

I first called these small fruits "funny little Chinese apples" because that's exactly what they look like. Sweet, crunchy and available from street-side fruit trucks in Beijing these are jujubes or zao. I see carefree grannies dip into plastic bags filled with these green and brown skinned fruits, spitting out the stone oh-so elegantly into their palms whilst mid-gossip.


Apparently they can be left out to dry. The result is something of a wrinkly burgundy-hued prune. Like so many other things the Chinese like, it's rumoured to have abundant health properties. Fertility is one which explains why I see mainly ladies munching on them. And like so many other random fruits, it can be used to make yet another type of jiu or liquor.


I just like trying out things I've never seen before. I'm also getting slightly addicted to them. What weird and wonderful fruits have you eaten recently?
at

6 comments:

  1. SeanOctober 19, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    they look like cute little baby apples! i gotta confess though, i had heard of "jujube," but i never knew what they were. i'd have guessed mythical creature with a horse's body and the wings and head of a bird :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swee San @ The Sweet SpotOctober 20, 2011 at 3:00 AM

    Koreans uses jujube alot too? I thought they were dates.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hungry FemaleOctober 21, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Sean: I hadn't a clue what they were till now!
    Swee San: These are also known as Chinese dates, but in their fresh form look and taste like mini apples!

    ReplyDelete
  4. missyblurkitOctober 23, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    they look like adorable baby apples. and the only jujubes i have ever known were the jujubes i took whenever i get a sorethroat.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ms. TindallOctober 30, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Are they sweet?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hungry FemaleNovember 4, 2011 at 5:54 AM

    Hi Ms Tindall! Yes they are, and wonderfully crunchy:)

    ReplyDelete