Jujube ( /ˈdʒuːdʒuːb/ or /ˈdʒuːdʒuːbiː/), or jube, is the name of several types of candy, varying in description on a regional basis. The candies can vary in texture form being hard and resinous to something similar to firm loukoum or gummy candies.
In the United States, Jujubes is the brand name of a particular type of candy, whereas in Canada the word is generic, and describes any of many similar confections.
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American jujubes are a type of starch, gum and corn syrup based candy drops originally produced by the Heide Candy Company. The product was sold to The Hershey Company, and then to the current owner, Farley & Sathers. They are much stiffer than their relatives (e.g. Jujyfruits).
Jujubes are a traditional western candy that first existed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The candy came to prominence in the mid-20th century. As with most candies of this era, although jujubes are sweet in taste and generally colorful, they do not have the strong and distinctive flavor of modern candies due to the expense of chemical flavorants at the time. Jello produced during the same time period also exhibits a similar lack of coordination between color and flavor.
The manufacturer's website states that "Jujubes, known for their hard, break-glass quality texture, began production in 1920. Original flavors included lilac, violet, rose, spearmint, and lemon. Rose and spearmint have been changed to cherry and lime, as a result of flavor availability." Thus, the current flavor lineup is lemon (yellow), lilac (orange), lime (green), cherry (red), and violet (purple).
Due to the hard, dense, and resinous nature of Jujubes, the candies are often eaten as a type of hard candy - "sucked on" rather than chewed. Individual Jujubes can be allowed to gradually rehydrate in the mouth with gentle chewing.[1] When frozen, they become brittle, and break when chewed on. It is due to their density that the 1996 Gummi Reviews published by NewTimes, Inc., stated that Jujubes are "a nearly inedible delicacy that has less in common with gummis than with those prehistoric amber droppings that were always trapping insects."
The original Jujube consistency, as noted above, was hard as a rock or a fossilized bit of amber. Due to the sale of the manufacturing rights to two subsequent owners, the Jujube has changed to a chewy, loudly fruit flavored gummy that bears little resemblance to the subtly flavored, suckable original candy.
Jubes are chewy gelatine-based sweets with some similarities to jelly-like confectionery common elsewhere. Traditionally, they are small, squishy, colorful blobs. They usually have a flat base, and are covered in a thick layer of sugar. They can be either hard or soft. Soft jubes are often half moon shaped. They are also commonly known as,'Jube Jubies, Jubies or just Joobs'. Both gumdrops and wine gums could be considered varieties of jube, as would jelly babies if not for their distinctive shape. Jellie tots are also shapeless blobs and could also be considered Joobs.
In Canada, jujubes or jubes are the name used for a particular type of "gummy" candies. They are also soft and squishy, with their texture due to starch, gelatin, and glucose syrup. Other ingredients include sugar and flavoring. Common flavors are orange, lime, lemon, cherry, black licorice and grape.
The name originates from a hard candy to which they bear a resemblance, though in appearance only.
In Guyana jujubes are made using gelatin, sugar, water, flavoring and a variety of food colorings. The confection is most commonly cube shaped, chewy and about 3/4 of an inch thick and is covered with powdered sugar; it resembles a Turkish Delight but does not contain any nut pieces. Jujubes are sold at many snack stalls and are known as "jub-jubs".
In India, jujubes are soft, semi-gooey and sugar coated. Rajinikanth is credited, though unverifiably, with the introduction of the word "ju-ju-bi" into contemporary Tamil slang to mean "easy pickings". In 1970s there was a candy brand called Moon Drops available in India. The Moon Drops candy was sugar-covered jujubes with a somewhat sour tasting soft-gooey, fruit-flavored core.
In Italy, jujubes are known as "puntini" and they come in many fruit flavors and colors.
In the cartoon Ed Edd n Eddy, Jimmy bribes Rolf with Jujubes.
In the episode, "The Stall", of the television show Seinfeld, Elaine asks where Jerry's girlfriend was at the movie theater where he states, "she choked on a Jujube."
In the sketch "Creative Possibilities," from Season 5 - Episode 17 of The Kids in the Hall, the founder of 'Creative Possibilities' (Kevin McDonald), a fictitious company made to promote imagination, offers a visiting loan collector (Dave Foley) Jujubes in a teapot.
In the film Avatar, Col. Quaritch warns the newcomers to Pandora about the dangerous creatures lurking in the forest beyond the base perimeter fence, saying they all 'want to kill you and eat your eyes for Jujubes'. It might also refer to the actual fruit-bearing plant called a jujube (Note: He stresses the E in Jujubes).
In the show Psych, Shawn James Roday mentions Jujubes a few times.
A quote from Winston Churchill, Member of Parliament, scene-stealing in the House of Commons: "I was only looking for a jujube."[1]
In the film Taxi Driver, Travis asks the lady at the concession stand of the porno theater if they have Jujubes and states that they last long.
In the show "Drake & Josh", Drake asks Josh to get him some Jujubes, but Josh's new friend Drew eats them all, claiming they are his favorite candy too. This leads to the discovery that Drew and Drake are almost the same person.
In the book Ulysses by James Joyce, Leopold Bloom envisions "His Majesty the King . . . sitting on his throne sucking red jujubes white." (Joyce, James. "Ulysses". First Vintage Press Edition, 1986. Episode 8 (Lestrygonians), line 8.04, page 124)
In the Televison show "Pan Am" they are a running joke in the episode "One Coin in a Fountain".
In a 1983 episode of Cheers.
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