Real Live Jujubes (Not From A Movie Theater)

So at the Hollywood Farmer's Market, where I bought the ingredients to make my soul-stirring Summer's End pasta, I spied an unusual sight--something I'd never seen before: a crate of Jujubes, identified as "Japanese Dates." Jujubes are a real thing? A fruit? Not just a movie theater candy? I was intrigued. So I filled a small bag with them and brought them home. First, though, I paid. I'm not a crook.

As I paid, I asked the man about the Jujubes. Do you peel them? Cook them? Eat them whole? "They're like little apples," he explained. "So eat them like that."

So, when I got back home, I washed a jujube and held it in my hand for this picture.

Then I took a bite:

Interesting!

Yes, it tasted like an apple, only dryer and not as sweet. After a moment, the taste on my tongue was kind of funky, almost--and I said this in the intro to last week's podcast--savory. Reminiscent of durian. Or was I making that up?

I took another bite. No, not durian-esque, just dry and funky. Delicious? Not particularly. But a fun thing to try. Maybe a good thing to snack on. More fun to talk about and blog about.

In conclusion, if you're at a movie theater, stick to the candy. If you're at the farmer's market, try these. They're pretty decent.