Jujube

Grown across Asia from China to Iran, this fruit (Zizyphus jujuba) sometimes known as a Chinese date, appears at California farmers’ markets at the end of the summer. Unlike the name of the popular candy, the name of the fruit is pronounced joojoob. The fruit is sweet, but not much else. It is one of the components of a correctly made lagan nu achar, the traditional Parsi Wedding Pickle. The size of small plums, fresh jujubes start out lemon yellow, turning a reddish brown as they ripen and wrinkle. Look for dried jujubes in Chinese medicine shops. They look like dark reddish-brown wrinkly dates.