Dried Nbeg Wild Jujube

✨ Dried Nbeg — The Wild Jujube of the Moroccan Sedra

Nbeg (النبق, written النبگ in Darija, also spelled nbag or nabq) is the fruit of the sedra (السدرة), the thorny wild jujube shrub Ziziphus lotus that grows across the dry plains and hillsides of Morocco. In English it is called wild jujube or lotus jujube, and because the plant belongs to the buckthorn family it is sometimes sold as buckthorn berries or buckthorn seeds. Each dried fruit is a small, round drupe about the size of a hazelnut, with a reddish-brown, lightly wrinkled skin, a thin layer of sweet, mealy, golden flesh and a hard stone at its heart. The taste is gently sweet with a slight tang, somewhere between a date and a dried apple.

🌿 Traditional and Cultural Uses

In rural Morocco, gathering nbeg at the end of summer was a family outing, and children filled their pockets with the fruit as a free sweet from the countryside. Grandmothers kept a jar of it in the kitchen: the dried fruit was simmered into a warm drink that was traditionally given for an upset stomach and for coughs and colds in winter. In some regions the flesh was pounded into a sweet flour and mixed with water or milk.

The sedra also holds a deep place in Islamic tradition. The Qur’an speaks of Sidrat al-Muntaha, the lote tree of the utmost boundary, and the sidr tree and its fruit are remembered in the Prophetic tradition, which is why sidr has long been treated with respect in Muslim homes. Across North Africa, Ziziphus lotus is also linked with the lotus fruit of the ancient Lotus-Eaters, a fruit said to be so sweet that travellers forgot their way home.

🍵 How to Use

• 🍂 As a snack: nibble the flesh and set the stone aside.
• 🫖 As a warm home drink, following the recipe below.
• 🥛 Soaked overnight, stoned, then blended with milk for a sweet, creamy drink.
• 🍯 Served with dates and other dried fruits when welcoming guests.

🥣 Traditional Nbeg Drink

1. Rinse 2 tablespoons of dried nbeg (about 20 g) under cool water.
2. Crack the fruits lightly in a mortar so the flesh releases its flavour.
3. Place them in a small pot with 500 ml of water and bring to the boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Strain, sweeten with a spoonful of honey if you like, and drink warm.

🔬 Product Profile

• 🌳 Plant: sedra, Ziziphus lotus, buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae)
• 📍 Origin: Morocco
• 🍂 Form: whole dried fruit with its natural stone
• 🧺 Ingredients: 100% dried nbeg, nothing added

📦 How We Sell It

Whole, loose dried nbeg fruits, just as you see them in the photograph, available in 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg, 3kg and 5kg.

⚠️ Usage Note

Each fruit has a hard stone inside, so eat the flesh gently and remove the stones before giving nbeg to young children.

🌤️ Storage

Keep in an airtight jar or sealed pouch in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and humidity. Stored well, dried nbeg keeps its flavour for up to 12 months.