Jerusalem artichokes and cherimoya, chervil root, medlar, bishop's cape pumpkin, crab apple or celeriac - many fruits and vegetables do not look at first sight as if we wanted to enter into a culinary liaison with them. Refusal for optical reasons here is similar to short-sighted, how to judge books only after the envelope - one carries a lot of nonsense home and leaves the best of the dealer.
For example, in these autumn weeks, a completely underrated fruit is eking out its shadowy existence at various weekly markets and in well-stocked fruit shops. It is smaller than an apricot, egg-shaped with smooth skin, but dotted with brown spots on the more neutral-beige keynote. The speech is from the Mediterranean Jujube, in this country rather than China date or berry.
Eaten raw (the shell is edible, only the small core in the middle not) develops the delicate flesh an exciting sweet and at the same time it pulls easily together a mouth. The taste is somewhere between old apple varieties, rennet and peach. The riper they are, the more they taste like dates.
photo gallery
6 pictures
Healthy and good: recipe for zucchini roulades and the noble chutneyIncidentally, the ugly spots on the shell are a maturity feature. Without them in the harvesting countries like Greece, Italy, France or Spain nobody would get the idea to pick the fruits from the up to eight meters high, often shrubby growing trees. For once plucked, the Jujubes mature as good as no more.
At the moment, the really mature specimens are to get - depending on the origin of the vegetable shop owner or weekly market stall operator just ask for Jujube (Arabic, Asian shops), Giuggiole (Italian) or Ginjol (Spanish and Latino). Sometimes "Chinese date" is also on the sign in front of the Kullerchen, which is actually the best name. The Kreuzdorngewächs spread from China's northeast, over India and southeastern Europe to the southern Alps ridge. It thrives everywhere, where wine is cultivated - also in some areas of Switzerland.
When making a purchase, make sure that the peel - it may be brown all around - is smooth and will not yield to the fruit when pressed. The China date lasts for about three weeks in the fruit basket, up to two months in the crisper of the refrigerator, and dried (like regular dates) for several years.
A heart for mini dates
In the history of medicine, there are as many examples of use for the jujube as in the kitchen. The Chinese knew their strengthening and blood-purifying properties already 2000 years ago. Depending on the indication, there is the fruit fresh or dried, as a tea infusion, wine or syrup against stress digestive problems, cardiac arrhythmia and increased blood pressure.
In culinary terms jujubes are also small jackass. In the northern part of Arquà Petrarca near Padua, almost every inhabitant cooks his own recipe during the "Festa delle Giuggiole" in autumn. Liqueurs, schnapps, jams and chutneys are also included. In Spain they like to fill their roast chicken with it, in the south of France pheasant, woodcock and partridge, while in Thailand they often end up in sweet-sour pot dishes.
We cook them in today's hobby recipe with onions, tomatoes and vinegar (but little sugar) for the vegetarian main course "Zucchini-roulades on vegetable couscous with jujube chutney". If there are the fruits on the market, it's worth making a small winter supply of it: in a sterilized jar, the chutney will stay in the fridge for a few months. After opening but consume within a few days.
