A date fruit is the product of a date palm, a tree native to Northern Africa and the Middle East, although it is also cultivated in other parts of the world. The date palm is one of the oldest cultivated plants and is probably native to the area around the Persian Gulf. The single-seeded oval berry fruit, approximately the size of a plum, is golden yellow to brownish red in color and has soft flesh and an inedible stone. Many regional Middle Eastern cuisines incorporate dates as do Mediterranean cuisines like those of Italy and Greece. Dried dates are usually readily available in most markets, and fresh dates can be found in specialty markets in season. The water content of dates is reduced to 20% by natural or artificial drying. The latter process is preceded by immersion in boiling sodium hydroxide solution. Sometimes the stones, which constitute 15% of the fruit, are left in, resulting in dates with an attractive rounded appearance; the dates may on the other hand be stoned, but then have a sunken appearance. Good dates are light brown and shiny, do not stick to one another and are not infested with mites. Old or incorrectly handled goods have a dull appearance and dry floury flesh and lack the distinctive sweet flavor. Dates may become sour as a result of inadequate processing or an excessively long storage period. Sour fruit can only be used as animal feedstuff. Dates contain valuable salts and iron, in an assimilable form, tannin, extractive matter, mucilage, insoluble matter and lime. Dates are an important traditional crop in Turkey, Iraq, Arabia, and North Africa west to Morocco and are mentioned in many places in the Quran. According to a study by Al-Shahib and Marshall, in many ways, "dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits." The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements including boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
(*Packet size can be customized)
