Is the sour and sweet jujube cake made of jujubes?

When you think of sour jujube, what image comes to your mind? Is it the wild jujube commonly seen in the mountains?

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I bet that friends from Jiangxi must think of this Jiangxi snack called "Nan Suanzao Cake" -

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This snack is sour and sweet, super delicious and appetizing. But what you don't know is that the "sour jujube" that makes this snack is actually distributed in many provinces, but because it is too sour, some people go to pick it to eat. It was in Jiangxi that it changed from a "wild fruit" to a "golden fruit", and from being ignored to becoming a famous "cake" in Jiangxi. With the rise of Internet e-commerce, it entered the top ten sales list of snack foods and was eaten by many people.

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So, what exactly is "Southern Jujube"? Let's talk about it today.

What is sour jujube?

Although the Chinese jujube is often called "sour jujube", it is completely different from the real sour jujube. They are two completely different fruits and are not even related.

The real sour jujube is a plant of the genus Ziziphus in the family Rhamnaceae, which is a shrub or small tree, with a tree height of mostly between 1 and 4 meters, and is also known as thorn, wild jujube, and mountain jujube. The southern sour jujube is a deciduous tree of the genus Ziziphus in the family Anacardiaceae, with a tree height of more than 20 meters, and is also called mountain jujube, five-eyed fruit, snot fruit, and nose jujube.

The appearance of the sour jujube is oval or oblong, with a thick peel. When ripe, the color changes from green to light yellow or golden yellow. Although the sour jujube is not big, it has a very large pit inside. There is very little flesh, which only adheres to the pit. Usually, if you squeeze it gently with your hands, the flesh will flow out like snot, so it is vividly called "snot fruit".

Image source: wiki

The Chinese jujube is nicknamed "sour and astringent fruit". Even when ripe, it is still very sour and difficult to swallow. Therefore, it is often processed and eaten, such as Chinese jujube cake, Chinese jujube slices, Chinese jujube grains, Chinese jujube beverages, Chinese jujube wine, etc. Among them, Chinese jujube cake is particularly popular and deeply loved by people. No acidulant needs to be added, and the taste is naturally sour.

So why did Jiangxi become the "hometown of southern sour jujube cake"? This is due to many favorable factors:

Geographical factors: Choerospondias australis grows mostly on hillsides, hills or valley forests at an altitude of 300 to 2,000 meters. In Chongyi, Jiangxi, the forest coverage rate is as high as 88.3%, providing a relatively closed and stable evergreen broad-leaved forest community, which provides extremely favorable climatic and geographical conditions for the growth of Choerospondias australis. It provides an ideal environment for the growth of Choerospondias australis;

Policy factors: The county government's policy support and special fund investment have provided a solid foundation for the development of the industry; the cooperation between scientific research institutions and enterprises has broken through the processing technology difficulties and promoted the progress of industrial technology; the complete industrial chain from germplasm resource protection to product sales has ensured the systematicness and market competitiveness of the industry;

Image source: e-commerce platform

The growth of market demand and product diversification have made the Chinese jujube a specialty product of Jiangxi Province. The significant economic benefits have not only promoted the revitalization of local rural areas, but also driven farmers' income growth and technological innovation of enterprises, and realized intelligent and mechanized production. The combined effect of these factors has made the Chinese jujube industry an important way for economic growth and farmers' income growth in Jiangxi Province.

Nutrition of sour jujube

The shape of the Chinese sorrel is oval or egg-shaped. If you squeeze a ripe Chinese sorrel gently with your hands, the flesh will flow out like "snot" and is sticky. This is the origin of its name "snot fruit".

Nutritionally, in addition to a good content of vitamin C, it also contains dietary fiber, flavonoids and polyphenol compounds.

1

Pectin

Data shows that the dietary fiber content of Chinese jujube is 1.43 grams per 100 grams. Although this content is not excellent, Chinese jujube is rich in pectin. Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber that has the property of absorbing water and swelling. It can enhance satiety, promote gastrointestinal motility, prevent constipation, is beneficial to intestinal health, and helps prevent obesity and diabetes.

The pectin content of sour jujube is about 5%. The pectin content of fruits we usually eat, such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc., is 0.5%~1.0%. The pectin content of strawberries is 0.5%~1.4%, and the pectin content of grapes is about 0.6%.

2

Antioxidant ingredients

Choerospondias australis contains rich flavonoids and polyphenols, both of which are antioxidants that can help us resist chronic inflammation in the body. Among them, flavonoids are one of the most biologically active components of Choerospondias australis, and polyphenols are mainly found in the peel.

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The fruit core of the southern jujube is very special

Don't throw away the Chinese jujube fruit immediately after eating it. If you observe carefully, you will find the peculiarity of the fruit core. There are five neatly arranged small holes on the top of the oval fruit core, which looks like five eyes, so it is also called "five-eye fruit", which also means "five blessings come to the door".

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There are six different types of seed holes in the fruit core of the Chinese jujube, including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Among them, the fruit core of the Chinese jujube with 5 seed holes is the most common, accounting for 77%. If the fruit core is cultivated, each of its small holes can grow a small bud, and each small bud is an independent plant. Some people also make bracelets from the fruit core of the Chinese jujube, which are called "Bodhi seeds", giving it auspicious meaning and increasing its cultural value.

This fruit with unique flavor is definitely worth a try!

References

[1] Lu Yilong, Fan Yong, Liu Ying, et al. Research progress and development strategies of sour jujube[J/OL]. Chinese Fruit Trees, 1-8[2024-10-22]. https://doi.org/10.16626/j.cnki.issn1000-8047.2024.11.001.

[2] Wang Xiangdong, Liang Daqi, Ma Yanzhi. Comparison and comprehensive evaluation of the quality of jujube fruit and kernel from different origins[J]. Journal of Chinese Agricultural Science and Technology, 2023, 25(06): 50-58. DOI: 10.13304/j.nykjdb.2022.0282.

[3] Wang Zhaojun. Study on the flavor of southern jujube and preparation of nutritionally enhanced jujube cake[D]. Nanchang University, 2014.

[4] Liu Xiaogeng, Chen Yousheng. Component analysis of the fruit of Choerospondias axillaris[J]. Chinese Wild Plant Resources, 2000, (03): 35-40.

[5] BU Chaozhi. Analysis of nutritional components and processing and utilization of Choerospondias axillaris fruit[J]. Chinese Wild Plants, 1992, (01): 32-36.

[6] Yan Zhen, Nie Jiyun, Li Haifei, Xu Guofeng, Li Zhixia, Li Jing, Wu Yonglong, Wu Xi, Wang Kun. Study on pectin content and grading standards of apple varieties[J]. Chinese Fruit Trees, 2012(2):26-29.

[7] Wu Yinting, Wang Xin, Nie Xianyong, et al. Research progress on active ingredients and applications of Choerospondias axillaris[J]. Food Science and Technology, 2024, 49(07): 82-87. DOI: 10.13684/j.cnki.spkj.2024.07.006.

[8] Long Guigen, Huang Zhiyun, Wu Nansheng, et al. Variation and comprehensive evaluation of fruit traits of Choerospondias axillaris germplasm resources [J/OL]. Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany, 1-10 [2024-10-22]. http://122.152.207.209:8085/kcms/detail/44.1374.q.20240930.1448.004.html.

[9] Ou Bin, Zhu Jianghua, Chen Qianxiang, et al. Analysis of differences in kernel size and seed hole number of Choerospondias axillaris[J]. Southern Agriculture, 2023, 17(19): 11-15. DOI: 10.19415/j.cnki.1673-890x.2023.19.003.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered dietitian, health manager, public nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia Linlin

Proofread by Xu Lai