I can't really say when it began. All I know is that, for as long as I can remember, I have loved Jujubes. Specifically the purple ones, but the other ones are nice, too. I spent my early childhood in the land of the Jujube (New Brunswick, NJ) and I know my mom loved them first. Perhaps I broke my first tooth on one. I'll have to ask.

I now live in Canada, where no one sells Jujubes. So I have to stock up when I visit the States. However, I have located a mail-order source!

Jujubes, for me, are perfect when they're not rock hard. Just chewy. A rock-hard Jujube is a dangerous item that makes dentists grin with anticipation. I, personally, cannot put a Jujube in my mouth and not chew it. I'm not a Jujube sucker. So I need the chewy ones. For some reason, they get hard very soon after exposure to air. So I have found a few ways to protect my teeth and cut down on the dental bills:

1. Tops in Niagara Falls carries bulk Jujubes. I'm pretty sure they're Heide (you know there ARE impostors out there). And every time I've visited, except once, they've had a bin full of fresh *soft* ones. Ambrosia.
   
   
2. Buying Jujubes in boxes is often a disappointment for me, cause they're usually pretty dang hard. But last visit to my family's place, I found mecca...a recently opened carton, containing boxes of lovely chewy ones. I bought 15 boxes. I have to make them last.
   
   
3. If you're lucky enough to find soft ones, double bag 'em. Or bag 'em and put the bag in an air-tight container. That should extend the chewiness until you've had time to devour them all.

If I had only one manufactured food to bring with me to a desert island, it would be purple Jujubes.