Move Over Goji… Jujube Has Arrived

Do you remember the tremendously exciting day just a few years about when you heard about goji berries for the first time? We were told goji berries were a superfood, they were going to make us healthier, help us live longer and give us super powers (okay, only two out of three of these claims were actually made).

We quickly began eating them in porridge, in salads, in flapjacks and even making tea out of them, as well as taking as many Instagram photos of them as we possible could so that everyone knew we were as trendy as you could get.

Well, now we’re going to tell you about the latest superfood to arrive in town (Western towns, that is – these guys have been big in the east for a long time already): the jujube berry. Or the ‘choo choo, choo choo, jujube, take me right back to the track, Jack’ berry, as we’ve taken to humming in our heads every time we think about it.

We’re fully prepared to swap our goji and acai berries for something new and get all aboard the jujube train, but where exactly has this new player come from and what’s meant to be so super about it?

Jujube berries are also known as red dates and have been popular in South Korea and China for many years. People often sprinkle a few on their breakfast or eat them as a snack, partly because they’re tasty – a bit like apple if they’re fresh, a bit like regular dates if they’re dried – and partly to benefit from their reported health benefits.

According to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, these include the fact that jujubes could help to tackle cancerous cells in breast cancer patients – pretty impressive for a tiny berry.

They’re also packed with vitamins, minerals and 18 of the 24 amino acids we need to function properly.

Jujube berries are an adaptogen too. That means they have shown promise in helping to reduce people’s stress and anxiety levels. Drop that word into your first #jujube Instagram photo caption and people will be hailing you as the next Deliciously Ella.

But what should one ju with a jujube? Well, they’re pretty versatile; they’d make a great porridge topper, a tasty addition to your morning muesli or a refreshing smoothie; you could add them into homemade flapjacks or brownies, as they’re a natural source of sweetness, making them ideal if you find yourself trying to give up refined sugar following the inevitable Christmas binge.

However, if you have diabetes, you need to be careful where jujubes are concerned. By all means, try them, but don’t go jujube-mad, as they’re actually a type of complex carbohydrate, meaning they could affect your blood sugar levels. And wouldn’t you rather get your complex carb fix from a couple of forkfuls of pasta than a few little berries?

You can expect to see jujubes on all the upcoming lists of the hottest foods to eat in 2018, which are also pipped to include the likes of camel’s milk and charcoal – yes, really. Although not in the same dish, we hope.