Water, shade and food
We can all picture that typical oasis scene, a clear spring and a cluster of towering palms providing some welcome shade in the middle of a scorching sea of sand. What we don’t think about so often is the fruit of the lofty palms, but these are the real jewels of the desert, dates. These small, sweet fruits are considered the oldest cultivated fruit in the world and thrive in the land of extreme temperatures, sand and camel caravans.
Dates are a popular part of the typical Middle Eastern diet and an average of ten dates per person are consumed each day, either fresh or dried. For the nomadic people of the desert, they have always been a valuable part of their diet, providing fibre, potassium and iron, and a high concentration of antioxidants. Besides this, they are easy to pack and with an indefinite shelf life once dried they are perfect for those cross-desert treks. The palms on which they grow can be up to 23 meters tall and over 9 meters around. A single mature date tree can produce 200 – 300 pounds, or up to 10,000 dates in just one season and over 10 million tons of dates are harvested each year. Once grown only in the desert regions of North Africa, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, dates are now also grown in similar climates of the American Southwest and Mexico.
Dates worth waiting for…
In recent years, a team of archaeologists came across a cache of 2000-year-old date palm seeds, which they soaked, treated and planted, remotely hoping they would grow. To the surprise of everyone, one seed successfully germinated and has grown into a tender young date palm, with an exciting and promising future. It was only appropriate to name this gift from ancient times – Methuselah.
Ancient fruit, modern uses
Although we may not have an oasis in our backyard, thanks to a renewed global interest dates are now enjoyed and appreciated worldwide and are readily available at most supermarkets. You’re probably not going to be crossing the desert on camelback anytime soon either, but you can still savour this middle eastern snack in a variety of ways; in breakfast smoothies, baked into delicious bars, included in nutritious trail mixes, or just savoured as a quick and healthy snack!
Recipe Inspirations
Pear and Almond Sticky Date Cake
Date and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
