Nearly every weekend at the Farmer’s Market, we encounter some food we have never tried (or often never heard of). I decided aReasonToCook.com is the perfect excuse for me to explore these food mysteries. This past weekend, we came across a small display, with a hand-written sign offering “Jujube $3.00/lb.”

In response to our inquiry, the stall attendant stated, “Jujube. Is Chinese Apple,” adding that we should select brown ones, as opposed to green ones, and that hard is preferable to soft fruit.

According to Wikipedia’s article, the fruit (not to be confused with the candy of the same name) is:

“…an edible oval drupe 1.5-3 cm long; when immature it is smooth-green, with the consistency and taste of an apple, maturing dark red to purplish-black and eventually wrinkled, looking like a small date.”

So we bought two from the nice lady at the Studio City Farmer’s Market. Allowing them to further ripen, we finally ate them tonight.

We both found them peculiar. Not unpleasant, but dry and airy. Perhaps they are better compared to DRIED apple rings. The truth is, we ended up having only a few bites each, giving the remainders to our Labradors (NB: Dogs like ‘em!).

I think Jujube is an interesting fruit, but I have no idea what I could do with them insofar as cooking (beyond simply eating them). At $3.00/lb., however, it’s safe to say I doubt I’ll be buying the Jujube fruit any time soon. But hey: I’ll try anything once.

PHOTO GALLERY

Jujube stand at the Studio City (CA) Farmer's Market.