Candy of the Day - Jujubes

Jujubes, like Jujyfruits, were originally made by the Heide Candy Company in the 1920’s. If you’re wondering, there is a family link between Jujubes and Jujyfruits. Not only were both invented by Henry Heide, but they formed a kind of Juju family of candies sold by Heide the chief difference being the manufacturing process.

The Jujube gets its name from Zizyphus sativa Gaertn, a Chinese date which had the distinction of being an annual gift to the royal court in Peking. The name probably can be traced to the same 1920’s craze for all things Chinese that had devotees hiring Chinese Mahjong instructors, since the candy and the fruit have nothing in common. It is notable that both the Jujyfruit and the Jujube used an ingredient called Ju-Ju Gum at one time, but this exotic sounding component is really nothing more than a vegetable thickener similar to Gum Arabic.

In the 50’s Heide sold the rights to Jujubes to Hershey which, in turn, sold them to Farley and Sathers, which eventually merged with current owner Ferrara Candy Company. Though the flavors and texture of the Jujube has changed over the years, you still can find them in theaters and sometimes in trick-or-treat bags everywhere.