Xinzheng Jujube

Xinzheng Jujube

　　Xinzheng jujube, also known as chicken-heart jujube or chicken-heart date, is a specialty of Xinzheng in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. It has long been praised with the saying, “Lingbao apples, Tongguan pears, Xinzheng jujubes sweet as honey.” Jujubes are sweet in taste and warm in nature, making them a nourishing fruit that benefits blood, strengthens the spleen, and beautifies the skin. Xinzheng jujubes, with their thin skin, thick flesh, small pits, and sweet flavor, are especially favored and are considered top-quality among jujubes.

　　“Lingbao apples, Tongguan pears, Xinzheng jujubes sweet as honey.” Xinzheng jujubes are highly favored for their thin skin, thick flesh, small pits, and sweet taste. They contain 18 essential amino acids required by the human body, along with protein, fat, carbohydrates, organic acids, and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, as well as vitamins B, C, and P. They are a natural vitamin-rich fruit with extremely high nutritional value. Jujubes also have significant medicinal properties. The leaves, flowers, fruits, peel, roots, and thorns of the jujube tree can all be used in traditional medicine. Li Shizhen wrote in the Compendium of Materia Medica: “Jujubes are sweet in taste and warm in nature. They can invigorate the middle energizer, replenish qi, nourish blood, and promote fluid production. They are used to treat conditions such as weak spleen, poor appetite, loose stools, and deficiency of qi and blood.” Regular consumption of jujubes can help treat physical weakness, neurasthenia, disharmony of the spleen and stomach, indigestion, overwork-induced cough, anemia, and emaciation. Their liver-nourishing and anti-cancer functions are particularly notable. The saying “Three jujubes a day keep you young” truly reflects their health and beauty benefits.

　　Xinzheng is the hometown of jujubes, and jujubes are the symbol of Xinzheng. The history of jujube cultivation in Xinzheng dates back over 8,000 years to the Peiligang Culture period. In 1978, during the excavation of Peiligang Culture ruins, carbonized jujube pits dating back 8,000 years were discovered, indicating that the ancestors in the Xinzheng area had already begun cultivating jujubes at that time.

　　Source: Office of the People's Government of Luoning County