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The Remarkable Date

The Remarkable Date
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The Remarkable Date

https://www.zebraorganics.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=date&x=15&y=11

Continuing with the theme of ancient foods (see previous post on Olives) we will now look at the date palm. Dates are one of humanities favorite fruit and have been in continuous cultivation for so long that the origin of the date palm is unknown. Though it is suspected to have originated in the area now known as Iraq. The date palm like the olive loves hot weather and thrives in many desert regions around the world. Here in the United States dates are can be found growing in California, Nevada, Arizona and Southern Florida. In the California desert near to the Zebra Organics office is one of the largest date growing regions in the US, the Coachella Valley.

Ancient Origins - Modern Enjoyment

While the precise origin of the date palm is shrouded by history the depth and breadth of its cultivation is known. Archeological records indicate that dates were cultivated as long as 7,000 BCE, this ancient relationship continues to this day. Here in the US dates are a popular holiday food usually in the form of date rolls, coconut covered with half an almond in the middle. The most popular date is the Medjool, it is plump, meaty, and sweet, a real treat. Dates do come many shapes and sizes and we at Zebra Organics are pleased to introduce you to 7 varieties of fresh local dates.

The dates we source are organic & fresh; grown at the date farms here in the Coachella Valley of the California desert, near the Zebra Organics Palm Springs packaging kitchen. From the date farm to you, it's not often you'll find dates this fresh and of such high quality. Refrigerate upon arrival.

7 Date Varieties

Barhis Date: Available for only a few short weeks; one of the few varieties with a sufficiently low tannin content to be edible in the khalal stage of ripeness, Barhis that are kept at room temperature then soften into the cloud-like rutab stage.

Deglet Noor: Firmer textured Deglet Noor is a perfect date-night snack. Deglet's lovely translucence, nutty flavor, and subtler sweetness combine for a date that is especially pleasing to refined tastebuds.

Halawy:The Halawy date's small stature belies its mighty caramel flavor and melting softness. These sultry blondes taste like butter-rich caramel.

Honey: Since smarts are sexy, here's a horticultural lesson for you: Most date varieties are grown strictly from the offshoots (cuttings) of the parent tree, resulting in identical fruit. A Medjool is a Medjool is a Medjool. But "Honey" is a catch-all name for dates grown from seed, so there is no one true Honey date. These one-of-a-kind little sweeties are the delicious result of fallen fruit that has taken root.

Khadrawi:
A cultivar favoured by many Arabs, it is a soft, very dark date. Melt-in-your-mouth super sweet and very soft. This is the gooeyest variety. Low Glycemic.

Medjool:
Moroccan royalty once claimed the large and luscious "King of Dates" as theirs alone to savor and to gift to VIP guests. Though Medjools are best known for their impressive size, a maple syrup-like depth of flavor and succulent texture ensures that the Medjool's spot in the popular crowd is well deserved.

Zahidi: This rare variety offers a pleasurable combination of peanut buttery nutty flavor, subtler sweetness, and enjoyably chewy bite, that lends it to a range of savory or sweet applications as well as eating out of hand. They are medium size, cylindrical, light golden-brown semi-dry dates, sold as soft, medium-hard and hard.

Dates can be eaten straight out of the bags, mixed with yogurt, nuts, seeds or blended into a smoothie. They are an excellent source of natural sugars and carbohydrates, they make an excellent fuel source for athletes. How ever you slice it dates are a sweet treat, great to snack on or eat as a desert.

5 years ago