01.23.07
Jujubees
In Chinese herbalism jujubees are commonly added to food as a tonic. Both the fruit and the seed are used as medicine to calm nerves and induce sleep. Before I knew any of this, I had eaten quite a few American jujubees while recovering from aplastic anemia because I just thought they tasted good. I didn’t realize that they were supposed to be good for my condition. However, more recently, I’ve read from two other blood patients that their Chinese herbalist/doctor has recommended jujubees for them. So since I happened to have some, I thought I would share what they look like for anyone interested. One thing I learned recently, though, is that they are commonly recommended to be cooked and added to stews and other foods. I ate them straight out of the package. . . The seeds are ground up and made into teas.
The larger ones on the left are American jujubees, while the smaller ones on the right are Chinese jujubees. They are also called red dates. I purchased the American (larger on the left) from a local farmer’s market at a stall operated by Burkitt’s Farm. They sell very nice organic fruits. The Chinese (smaller on the right) jujubees I found at a Chinese herb shop in Sherman Oaks. They aren’t labeled organic, but I haven’t found any organic Chinese jujubees anywhere else.
Marlakins
