Jujube Dates: A Sweet Tonic Fruit

Jujube dates, also called Chinese red dates or da zao, are a sweet, chewy tonic fruit that has been a cornerstone of East Asian kitchens and herbal tradition for thousands of years. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, they lend gentle natural sweetness to two Súp Wellness broths.

What are jujube dates?

Jujube dates come from the tree Ziziphus jujuba. Harvested ripe and often dried, they turn deep red and wrinkled, with a sweet flavor between an apple and a date. Nutritionally they are notable for a high vitamin C content and for antioxidant compounds including flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids.

How are jujube dates used in Traditional Chinese Medicine?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the jujube fruit (da zao, or red date) is a classic tonic traditionally used to support the Spleen and stomach, nourish the blood, and harmonize a formula, softening and balancing stronger herbs. It appears in countless tonic soups and teas.

How are jujube dates used in Ayurveda?

In Ayurveda, jujube (known as badara) has a traditional role too, where the fruit is regarded as a nourishing, cooling food used to support strength and vitality.

Jujube dates and modern wellness

Modern research highlights the jujube fruit's antioxidant profile. Reviews describe it as rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, and catalog antioxidant and neuroprotective activity studied largely in laboratory and animal models.¹ In our broth, jujube dates contribute antioxidants, vitamin C, and a rounded natural sweetness.

How Súp Wellness uses jujube dates

Jujube dates bring gentle sweetness and a nourishing, traditional touch to our Ginseng Burdock Vitality Recharge and our Green Papaya Nourish & Glow broths. In Vietnamese tonic cooking, red dates are the classic harmonizing note that rounds out a savory pot, a sensibility drawn from founder Jacqueline's upbringing in her Vietnamese family kitchen.

Frequently asked questions

What are jujube dates good for?

Jujube dates are a sweet tonic fruit rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, traditionally used in Chinese herbalism to support the Spleen and stomach, nourish the blood, and harmonize a formula.

Are jujube dates the same as regular dates?

No. Jujube dates come from the Ziziphus jujuba tree and are smaller, with an apple-like sweetness, unlike Medjool or Deglet dates, which come from the date palm.

What do jujube dates taste like?

Dried jujube dates are sweet and mellow, somewhere between an apple and a date, adding a gentle natural sweetness to broth.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Súp Wellness products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources

1. A review of dietary Ziziphus jujuba fruit (jujube): developing health food supplements for brain protection. PMC5478819. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5478819/