Wuzhou Honey Dates

Wuzhou Honey Dates

　　Wuzhou Honey Dates are produced in Wuzhou, Guangxi. These honey dates are primarily made from immature green jujubes harvested in areas such as Pingnan, Tengxian, and Cangwu—fruits that are large with small pits, loosely textured, thin-skinned yet tough, low in juice, and not fully ripe. During production, an iron comb is used to make vertical slits in the skin, cutting about halfway into the flesh. The jujubes are then soaked to remove tannins, softening the fruit. After two hours, they are removed and boiled in a pot, then rinsed with clean water and drained. Next, they are simmered over high heat in a sugar pot. Once the jujubes turn soft and yellowish, honey or maltose is added and the mixture is cooked for another hour. The jujubes and syrup are then poured into a cold container and left to stand for 45 minutes to allow the jujubes to absorb sufficient syrup. They are then taken out to be baked in a drying room or sun-dried until semi-dry. The jujubes are shaped by hand into a flat, slightly saddle-like form and continue to be dried and sunned until a white frost appears on the surface, at which point they are finished.

　　Wuzhou Honey Dates are dark red in color, saddle-shaped, and contain approximately 70% sugar. The fruit is semi-transparent, dry, and suitable for long-term storage. With thick, loose flesh, they have a sweet and pleasant taste and offer the benefit of clearing the heart and moistening the lungs.

　　Wuzhou Honey Dates are made primarily from immature green jujubes harvested in areas such as Pingnan, Tengxian, and Cangwu—fruits that are large with small pits, loosely textured, thin-skinned yet tough, low in juice, and not fully ripe. These honey dates are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and various vitamins, especially vitamin C, with each date containing 400–600 milligrams—more than 140 times the amount found in the same weight of pears. They also have the highest level of vitamin D among fruits, making them an ideal nutritional supplement.

　　The production process involves using an iron comb to slit the jujube skin vertically, cutting about halfway into the flesh. The jujubes are then soaked to remove tannins, softening the fruit. After two hours, they are removed and boiled in a pot, then rinsed with clean water and drained. Next, they are simmered over high heat in a sugar pot. Once the jujubes turn soft and yellowish, honey or maltose is added and the mixture is cooked for another hour. The jujubes and syrup are then poured into a cold container and left to stand for 45 minutes to allow the jujubes to absorb sufficient syrup. They are then taken out to be baked in a drying room or sun-dried until semi-dry. The jujubes are shaped by hand into a flat, slightly saddle-like form and continue to be dried and sunned until a white frost appears on the surface, at which point they are finished.

　　Wuzhou Honey Dates are dark red in color, saddle-shaped, and contain approximately 70% sugar. The fruit is semi-transparent, dry, and suitable for long-term storage. With thick, loose flesh, they have a sweet and pleasant taste and offer the benefit of clearing the heart and moistening the lungs.

　　Wuzhou’s “Peace Brand” Honey Dates are the flagship product of the Wuzhou Sugar Factory. Packaged in day-shaped wooden boxes featuring a peace dove and wrapped in soft straw matting, these “Peace Brand” honey dates carry the prestige of Wuzhou specialties and enjoy fame across Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and even overseas countries with Cantonese communities. “Peace Brand” Honey Dates are known for their medicinal benefits of “beautifying the skin and moisturizing the lungs.” They are pure “green food,” an excellent ingredient for cooking pork bone and dried vegetable soup, and a popular gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival, often presented alongside mooncakes in households.