Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba)

Unnab is the Chinese jujube, a hardy deciduous fruit tree cultivated in China for thousands of years. Its fresh fruit is crisp like an apple, and dried it becomes the sweet, wrinkled red date of Chinese and Korean cooking. In India dried unnab comes mostly through Unani pharmacies and dry-fruit shops. The common Indian ber, Ziziphus mauritiana or elandai in Tamil, is a different, evergreen species.

Botanical name: Ziziphus jujuba Mill.
Family: Rhamnaceae
Tamil: Unnab
Hindi: Unnab
Sanskrit: Kola
Parts used: Ripe and dried fruit
Habit: Chinese jujube; Tamil elandai is usually Ziziphus mauritiana
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Chinese jujube

It is a small deciduous tree with zigzag branches that bear paired spines, one straight and one hooked, at each node.

The leaves are glossy and oval, with three prominent veins from the base and fine teeth on the edges, and are smooth below.

Tiny yellow-green, star-shaped flowers grow in clusters in the leaf axils.

The fruit is an oval drupe, two to four centimetres long, that turns from green to mahogany red, with one hard stone.

Indian ber has rounder fruit and leaves that are pale and hairy underneath, and it keeps its leaves through winter.

Traditional use of Chinese jujube

Unani

Dried unnab is a common ingredient of joshanda, the boiled herbal drink taken for colds and coughs.

Unani household practice

Kitchen

In Korea, dried jujubes are simmered into daechu tea and added to ginseng chicken soup.

Korean food practice

Chinese medicine

Dried jujube, called da zao, appears in many Chinese herbal formulas and in sweet soups.

Chinese food and medicine practice

Modern notes on Chinese jujube

Fresh jujube is very high in vitamin C, often more than citrus by weight.

Dried fruit is mostly sugar and fibre and stores for a long time.

Studies on jujube extracts for sleep and digestion are small or done in animals, so clinical evidence remains limited.

Chinese jujube safety

The fruit is a safe food in normal amounts. Dried jujubes are high in sugar, and the hard stones are a choking risk for small children.

Ecology and sourcing

It tolerates cold winters, heat, drought and poor soils, and grows wild across northern China.

Flies, bees and wasps visit the small, nectar-rich flowers.

It spreads by root suckers and can form thickets.

Related plants

Questions about Chinese jujube

Is unnab the same as ber?

No. Ber is Ziziphus mauritiana, an evergreen Indian species.

What is a red date?

The dried fruit of Chinese jujube.

Is Chinese jujube in joshanda?

Yes. Dried unnab is a common joshanda ingredient.

How do fresh jujubes taste?

Crisp and mildly sweet, like a small apple.

Can Chinese jujube grow in India?

It suits colder, drier northern areas better than the humid south.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.