Basic Introduction to Ruoqiang Jujubes
Ruoqiang jujubes are a specialty of Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and a Chinese national geographical indication product.
Ruoqiang County is known as the “Chinese Jujube Capital,” located in the southeast of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, bordering Gansu, Qinghai, and Tibet. It lies on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, China's largest county by land area, and the only one with three major deserts within its borders. It was also an important town along the ancient Silk Road. Ruoqiang County has a hot, arid climate with little rainfall, characterized by long hours of sunlight and significant day-night temperature differences, which make it ideal for growing jujubes, endowed with unique light and thermal resources.
The main varieties of Ruoqiang jujubes are:
Ruoqiang Winter Jujubes
Ruoqiang winter jujubes originate from Huanghua winter jujubes in Hebei Province, a russet red color, with excellent fresh-eating quality. They have strong, sprawling trees, reddish-purple shoots, and short, fine thorns. The fruits hang on long pedicels, with many flowers and lanceolate leaves. They are highly adaptable, productive, and steady-yielding. The fruits are of superior quality and have significant medicinal and health benefits. They are suitable for fresh consumption. They can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C, making them ideal for regions with little rain during maturation.
Ruoqiang Golden Thread Small Jujubes
Ruoqiang golden thread small jujubes come from golden thread small jujubes in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, a bright red color, with excellent quality. They have small, thin skins and thick flesh, with a fine texture and high sugar content. They have significant medicinal and health benefits. The fruits are suitable for fresh eating and are good for beauty, anti-aging, spleen tonification, stomach strengthening, qi replenishment, fluid generation, and detoxifying medicines.
Gray Jujubes (Ruoqiang Gray Jujubes)
Gray jujubes originate from Xinzheng gray jujubes in Henan Province, an orange-red color, of high quality. They have strong, sprawling trees, with brown multi-year branches and reddish-brown developing branches. Their leaves are small and dark green. They have a strong ability to grow unilaterally, are highly adaptable, and have a two-layered root system. Their roots produce numerous fibrous roots at the top, making them highly productive and stable. The fruits are of excellent quality, suitable for both fresh eating and drying. When dried jujubes are broken open, they produce golden threads. Each 100 grams contain 31.9 milligrams of vitamin C, with significant medicinal and health benefits. The fruits are good for beauty, anti-aging, spleen tonification, stomach strengthening, qi replenishment, fluid generation, and detoxifying medicines.
Ruoqiang Large Jujubes
Ruoqiang large jujubes are derived from Xinzheng gray jujubes in Henan Province, an orange-red color, of high quality, with small stones that separate easily from the flesh. They have strong, sprawling trees and a strong ability to grow unilaterally, are highly adaptable, and are highly productive and stable. The fruits are of excellent quality, suitable for both fresh eating and drying. When dried jujubes are broken open, they produce golden threads. Each 100 grams contain 31.9 milligrams of vitamin C, with significant medicinal and health benefits. The fruits are good for beauty, anti-aging, spleen tonification, stomach strengthening, qi replenishment, fluid generation, and detoxifying medicines.
The city of Ruoqiang has a warm temperate continental desert arid climate. Ruoqiang County has an annual average temperature of 11.8°C, with an extreme maximum of 43.6°C. The January average temperature is -9.4°C, while the July average is 27.4°C, and the extreme minimum is -27.2°C. The annual average relative humidity is 39%, with a frost-free period of 189-193 days. The annual average precipitation is 28.5 millimeters, with an extreme maximum of 118.0 millimeters and a minimum of 3.3 millimeters. The annual average evaporation is 2,920.2 millimeters, with a maximum of 3,368.1 millimeters. The annual average sunshine duration is 3,103.2 hours, ranging from a minimum of 2,940.0 hours to a maximum of 3,338.8 hours. The maximum soil freezing depth is 96 centimeters. Winters in Ruoqiang are dry and cold, while summers are hot with little rain. The region experiences strong winds and dust, with significant day-night temperature differences. It is a typical continental temperate arid and semi-arid climate zone. The oasis jujube area faces the great desert, backed by the Altun Mountains. Winters are dry and cold, while summers are hot with little rain. The climate is dry and hot, with strong winds and dust, long hours of sunlight, and significant day-night temperature differences. The effective photosynthetic radiation is extremely high, and the light and heat resources are perfectly matched. This is a typical continental temperate arid and semi-arid climate zone, with low precipitation, high evaporation, and an annual average temperature of 11.5°C. The average frost-free period is 197 days, making it very suitable for growing premium-quality jujubes. It is an ideal place for developing high-end fruit products.
The protected geographical indication product area for Ruoqiang jujubes includes the administrative areas currently under the jurisdiction of the 36th Regiment of the Second Agricultural Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Ruoqiang Town, Wutamu Township, Washi Xia Township, Tashsai Development Zone, and Tieganlik Township in Ruoqiang County.
Nutritional Value
Jujubes contain large amounts of sugars, primarily glucose, but also fructose, sucrose, and oligosaccharides composed of glucose and fructose, such as arabinoxylooligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides. They also contain large amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, beta-carotene, niacin, and other vitamins. They have a strong nourishing effect, enhancing human immune function and disease resistance.
Product Characteristics
Ruoqiang jujubes are produced in Ruoqiang County, known as the “First County of China.” These jujubes have a sweet, crisp taste, a rich aroma, and are pleasant to eat even when consumed in large quantities. High-quality dried jujubes have a high sugar content, a bright red color, thin skin, and thick flesh. They are neither too tight nor too loose, with a fine, clear, and refreshing taste.
Historical Folklore
The Loulan Kingdom in Ruoqiang served as a trading hub for Central Asian merchants for five centuries. Ancient Ruoqiang was one of the earliest and largest areas of farming in the Western Regions, and today's Ruoqiang is known as “China's Jujube Capital.” Ruoqiang jujubes have thin skins and thick flesh, and visitors enjoy their taste, sensing the hope for Ruoqiang's future.
The cultivation of jujubes in the Ruoqiang region has a long history. In the initial archaeological excavations of Loulan after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Ruoqiang jujubes were found among the burial goods. There is a popular saying that goes, “One Ruoqiang jujube a day keeps old age at bay.”
According to records, the modern cultivation of Ruoqiang jujubes dates back to the 1970s. The first introduction of jujubes in Ruoqiang County occurred in 1978, marking the beginning of jujube cultivation in Ruoqiang. The cultivation of Ruoqiang jujubes has gone through three periods: initial exploration, slow development, and rapid growth, forming the unique Ruoqiang jujubes and driving the extraordinary and leapfrog development of the “red wealth” industry of Ruoqiang jujubes.
Awards and Honors for Ruoqiang Jujubes
In 2003, the ecological economic forest construction project