Red dates: Red dates are the most common name. Basically, all red dates can be called red dates, Jun dates, and gray dates. They can all be said to be a type of red dates. There are also some special ones. The varieties of jujube are not Junzao and gray jujubes, such as Hami jujube, Ruoqiang pepper jujube, etc.
In addition, they are divided into big jujubes and small jujubes according to their appearance. Generally, jujubes are larger and are collectively called jujubes, while gray jujubes are smaller and are collectively called small jujubes.
There are too many varieties of red dates across the country, but based on the natural geographical environment and planting conditions, generally speaking, Xinjiang has a unique environment with long sunshine hours and large temperature differences between morning and evening, so fruits generally have high sugar content. , mature and full. So basically the best varieties of red dates are produced in Xinjiang. Now I will introduce the characteristics of Xinjiang red dates.
Hami jujube: The most traditional jujube in Xinjiang should be Hami jujube. Hami jujube has a history of more than 2,000 years and was called "fragrant jujube" in ancient times. Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty tasted the Hami jujube and named it "tribute jujube", and it has since become a tribute to the royal family of all dynasties. Hami jujube is a traditional famous jujube, with the highest iron content among Xinjiang jujubes. Mature jujubes are round in shape and large in size. Special-grade jujubes are about the size of table tennis balls and are deep purple-red. Good Hami jujubes return to their original shape quickly when pinched and have plump flesh. It tastes sweet and slightly bitter when eaten directly, so the market has become smaller and smaller in recent years, surpassed by Xinjiang Junzao and Gray Zaozao. In fact, Hami jujube has the strongest medicinal function. It can be soaked in soup, prepared with nutritious meals, and is the best for dispensing medicine.
Gray dates: The representative of gray dates is Ruoqiang red dates, which are produced in Ruoqiang County, Bazhou, Xinjiang. They are called gray dates because when they are about to mature, their color is not what we usually see. Instead of the bright red color, the color is gray, as if it were covered with frost, so we gave this kind of jujube a simple and popular name, gray jujube.
Ruoqiang County is located in the hinterland of Eurasia, with a typical warm temperate desert arid climate, with an altitude of 846 meters. The climate is dry and hot, with long sunshine hours and large daily temperature differences. Jujube trees have the characteristics of liking light and heat. Characteristics, very suitable for the cultivation of red dates. Ruoqiang County established Xinjiang Loulan Date Industry Co., Ltd. (Xinjiang Loulan Fruit Industry Co., Ltd.), Xinjiang Ruoqiang Altun Jujube Professional Cooperative, Xinjiang Ruoqiang Zimuhe Date Industry Co., Ltd., and registered "Loulan" and "Aljin Jujube" ", "Zimu River" and a series of brand trademarks with Ruoqiang regional cultural characteristics. Now the largest local company is Xinjiang Loulan Fruit Co., Ltd., and the Loulan red dates produced represent the finest Ruoqiang red dates.
The pulp of Ruoqiang red dates has a very good texture. It tastes like the sweetness of spring water. The jujube meat is delicate, not big, the skin is thin and the meat is tender, and the taste is very pure. Ripe jujubes hang on the trees. Harvested only when half dry, it is a very famous jujube variety in Xinjiang. The most common ones are the second and third grades, which are about 2.5 cm in size, much smaller than jujube, but the pure taste has always been a best-seller. Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have the largest sales, but in recent years, the north has slowly begun to use Hotan jujube has turned into Ruoqiang jujube.
Junzao: This kind of jujube should be the most familiar type of jujube. The representative is the Hotan jujube produced by Kunlun Mountain Jujube Industry Co., Ltd. In the 1990s, there were basically no jujubes in the Hotan area. In the late 1990s, the state invested in the completion of the Uluwati Water Conservancy Project, a large-scale water conservancy project with comprehensive utilization benefits such as irrigation, power generation, flood control, urban and rural water supply, and ecological protection.
After the completion of the project, the water problem of the Construction Corps, Tianpi Mountain and Moyu Farm was solved. The 224th Regiment of the 14th Agricultural Division united outstanding talents from all over the country to vigorously develop red date planting and red date industrial parks, and introduced Shanxi Junzao and other varieties of jujube. In 2005 Hotan Kunlun Mountain Jujube Industry Co., Ltd. was established in 2007, producing Kunlun Mountain Hotan Jade Jujube and Kunlun Jade Jujube. Hotan Jade Jujube was named after the fame of Hotan Jade. It started selling on Taobao in 2007 and became very popular online and offline after 2009. , large in appearance, thick in flesh, and better in taste and quality than Junzao in Shanxi, the place of origin. Moreover, the Corps has unified management and complete resources, and is generally better in quality than individual farmers. Unfortunately, Kunlun Yuzao personally thinks it is better than Hotan Yuzao. It's delicious, it's Zanhuang Zao, but it doesn't look good in appearance and has never been made. Now there are very few on the market. The biggest contribution is to drive Xinjiang's forest and fruit industry to the national market. Seventy percent of the dried dates you buy online are Junzao, and they are basically all Xinjiang Junzao. The characteristic of Xinjiang Junzao is that it is big. Each Junzao can reach about 15 grams on average. It is a special grade. It can reach about 25g. Because of its large size, the pulp of this jujube also has more edible parts, which can be said to be very enjoyable to eat. In 2006, I was shocked when I first saw the six-star Hetian jade dates. It was really about the same size as an egg, and it subverted the traditional way of eating dates. It could be eaten as a casual snack, which invisibly opened up the jujube market. Hetian jade Jujube may not be the first to be developed, but it is indeed the first contributor to the development of jujube in Xinjiang.
Because of the leading demonstration role of Hotan jujube, more and more jujubes are planted in various parts of Xinjiang. The largest production area is Aksu. Aksu is the region with the richest water resources in Xinjiang and the largest fruit forest area. The output is large and the price is low. Aksu jujube generally has thicker skin and larger core, but the price advantage is obvious. Therefore, a series of names such as Hotan jade jujube, Hotan jujube, Xinjiang jujube, and Xinjiang Junzao are all Junzao, and they are basically Varieties of Shanxi Junzao.
But compared to gray dates, the taste of Jun dates is slightly worse. After tasting it carefully, your mouth will be sour, and the sweetness is also lower than that of Gray dates, but the size of Gray dates is smaller. , not as big as Junzao and easy to fool people, but the taste is much purer than Hotan jujube. Hotan area, because this place is an important production area of ??Hotan jade, and the name Hotan jade jujube also increases consumer awareness, so Hotan jade jujube is the most famous among jujubes.
There are several provinces in China’s red date production areas, such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Gansu and Xinjiang, etc. Why are the red dates in Xinjiang the most delicious? Even the most common Aksu series is generally It is better than other places, mainly due to the special natural environment, the large temperature difference between morning and evening, and the long lighting time. It seems to be particularly suitable for plant growth. The fruits are plump and large, just like Turpan, which is rich in grapes. In summer, there are many times when the temperature is over 40 degrees, which is unbearable for people. , but most plants grow well as long as there is no shortage of water. There are also considerable differences in the production of red dates across Xinjiang. The production of red dates in areas lacking water is better, and those led by the government and the Corps are generally better than those produced by individual investors.
The grades of Xinjiang red dates are generally distinguished by size. For the same variety, special grade is the largest, followed by first grade, second grade, third grade, etc. For personal consumption, just buy second grade and third grade. The price is also cheaper, and those below level three are less mature than others. When choosing jujubes, you need to look at both the appearance and the plumpness. Generally, if you don’t eat it often, you can buy Hotan jujubes. If you eat it often, you can buy Ruoqiang jujubes. Even famous producing areas such as Hotan and Ruoqiang have some jujubes that are not very good. Ordinary producing areas are also good. There may be good dates. The oldest jujube in Xinjiang is the Hami jujube, which is said to be over 1,500 years old, while the Hotan jujube and Ruoqiang red jujube are only more than ten years old. No matter how bold you are, you wouldn’t dare to say that it has been around since ancient times, right? It’s not certain that somewhere in Xinjiang there will be something that surpasses the present.
Generally speaking: Hotan dates in Xinjiang have the largest sales volume due to their large size, Hami dates have the best medicinal effects, Ruoqiang dates have the best taste due to their small size, and Loulan red dates are the representative of Ruoqiang dates, so you can eat them directly , can be soaked in water to make soup, you can choose according to your needs.