Croatian jujubes: Wonderful fruit to delight your sense of taste

The southern region of Croatia called Dalmatia hides many gastronomical specialties, from characteristical fruit and vegetables to cheese and meat and fish delights that will amaze even those who proud themselves as true gourmands.

During your visit to the region, you must try famous food like Drniš prosciutto, Pag cheese, dried figs, local wine, and others! One of the great tasty delights are jujubes, known as žižule in Croatian!

Jujube is a small tree and part of the Rhamnaceae family that can reach a height of up to 12 meters, but on average it is around 5-6 meters high.

It usually has very thorny branches so be careful if you come across it! Jujubes can sometimes be referred to as red dates so maybe you have even heard of it!

This tasty fruit has origins in the south of Africa from 9000 BC. The three are very strong and resilient and can tolerate very harsh weather conditions like a wide range of temperatures and storms.

It is famous for its strength and the jujube family has more than 400 cultivars many of which are culinary, but there are some medical uses too!

Antioxidants and organic compounds found in jujubes are very healthy and, being a rich source of iron and phosphorous, can help with anemia, muscle weakness, fatigue and blood circulation problems.

In some regions of the Himalaya mountains, as custom boys take jujube flowers to attract girls, as there is a belief that the sweet smell of these flowers has the power to make teenagers fall in love.

In the Croatian Dalmatia region, jujubes are famous for use in marmalades and jams, juices and fruit brandy. There are excellent to eat too! They taste something in between an apple and a date.

If you never heard of žižule before, it is probably because their season is after the summer months so be sure to come by at the beginning of September!

Are you ready to visit regions famous for jujubes? Rent villa in Šibenik or check out villas in Zadar and book your accommodation on time!

If you are traveling by boat, drop by in Skradin city, buy some jujubes and check out Vidrovača restaurant for boaters!