Chapter 5 Section 2 A jujube and a heart

Jujube (Ziziphus zizyphus) belongs to Rhamnaceae.The bright red jujubes are shaped like people's red hearts. On festive days or when visiting relatives and friends, folks often bring a basket of red dates as a gift to show good luck and a symbol of happiness. The record of the so-called "jujube peeling in August" in "The Book of Songs Bin [bin Bin] Wind July" shows that jujube was included in the important agricultural activities at that time. Jujube trees were cultivated, and they were widely planted in the Qin and Han Dynasties. "Warring States Policy" records: "There are benefits of jujubes and chestnuts in the north. Although the people can't do it from the fields, the fruits of jujubes and chestnuts are enough for the people." It was found in ancient tombs in the Western Han Dynasty that jujubes were planted in Wuwei, Gansu and Guangdong as early as the Western Han Dynasty. It has become very common. In the 1st century AD, jujube was brought to Persia and the Mediterranean coast along the Silk Road. In the 8th and 9th centuries AD, it was introduced to Japan and Southeast Asia through Korea. In the 19th century, the United States introduced Chinese jujube trees from China. A total of 225 fine varieties spread rapidly to the North and South America.

Jujube trees in my country are domesticated from wild jujube "thorn" (jiji).The thorn is the jujube tree, which is a small and clustered shrub. At present, the jujube tree is widely distributed in the vast mountainous areas of the north.The fruit is small, round, with thin skin and sour taste.After thousands of years of domestication, many high-quality varieties have emerged.In the 6th century A.D. Jia Sixie's "Qi Min Yao Shu" in the Northern Wei Dynasty recorded 45 varieties, in the Yuan Dynasty "Da Zao Pu" described 72 varieties, and in the Qing Dynasty Wu Qijun (jun Jun)'s "Plant Names and Facts" listed 87 species. There are more than 400 species in China at present.

Jujube has high nutritional value and is a tonic.It contains 24% sugar, 1.2% protein, 0.2% fat, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc., especially the vitamin C content ranks first in all kinds of fruits. Every 100 grams of jujube contains 80-600 mg of vitamin C, which is higher than Apple 70-80 times.In addition to fresh dates, red dates are mainly made into dried dates.In the northern region, there is a saying "one bucket of jujube, two buckets of grain, and two catties of sugar in it", which shows that people regard jujube as precious as food.Jujube is a good medicine that moistens the heart and lungs, relieves cough, nourishes the stomach and invigorates the spleen, and strengthens the spirit.Jujube meat can treat high blood pressure, protect the heart, and enhance the activity of the myocardium.Now China's excellent varieties include Jinsixiaozao from Cangzhou, Hebei Province.The jujube has thick flesh and small core, and is golden yellow after drying. Three-foot-long thin filaments can be drawn from the flesh, and can be made into the famous "golden silk candied dates" both at home and abroad.Shandong Leling seedless jujube, the jujube core has degenerated into a thin gelatinous shell, so it is also called the modest jujube, which is sweet in taste and beautiful in color.The jujube produced in Xi'an, Shanxi is as big as an egg and has a lot of juice. In the past, it was a rare and precious jujube paid tribute to the emperor.Henan Xinzheng jujube and Lingbao jujube are also quite famous. Maya jujube in the suburbs of Beijing is often processed into preserved fruits and sold both at home and abroad.

Jujube trees in hundred orchards, the flowers are not beautiful, the leaves are not luxuriant, the bark is cracked, simple and unadorned, and the adaptability is very strong. The quality of jujube fruit grown in arid soil is better.The folks say: "Chestnuts that can't be drowned, jujubes that can't be sunburned", and the agricultural proverb has "Peaches, three apricots and four pears, five years, the jujube tree will pay back the money in the same year", which means that the trees were planted in the year and the jujubes were harvested in the same year.Jujube trees have a long lifespan, with a tree age of one hundred years. It can be said that "a tree is planted in one year, and fruit is harvested in a hundred years".Jujube trees are distributed in almost all provinces of the country except Tibet, mainly concentrated in the arid and semi-arid regions of the northern warm temperate zone.Jujube flower is an important source of nectar. Take jujube leaf decoction to treat vomiting and nausea, burn bark to ashes to treat dysentery, and jujube wood is a good material for making large wheel axles, furniture and handicrafts.In the concentrated production areas of jujube trees in northern my country, the income of commercial jujubes accounts for 30% to 40% of agricultural income.