Around the World in 40 Fruits – Volume 16 – By Dr. Marli Botha – Article 16 of 40
By Dr. Marli Botha
The date is considered the national fruit of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), holding significant cultural and nutritional importance. Unsurprisingly, dates and local Emirati culture have been intertwined for decades. The date is more than a nutritional powerhouse but is a symbol of hospitality and generosity.
Let’s climb the palm and discover the timeless sweetness of the date – a gift from the desert that feeds both body and soul!
- Algeria is a major producer of dates, particularly the renowned “Deglet Nour” variety, known for its sweetness, delicate flavour, and firm texture, and is considered the “queen of all dates”.
- In 2022, world production of dates was 9.7 million tonnes, led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria accounting for 46% of the total.
- Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, with evidence of date palm cultivation dating back more than 6,000 years in ancient Mesopotamia.
- Dates are harvested by hand, with skilled workers climbing date palm trees to carefully pluck the fruit.
- Dates experienced an unexpected boost in popularity during World War II. At this time when sugar was rationed due to wartime shortages, many people discovered that dates served as an excellent alternative to sugar for sweetening foods.
- Date fruits stones are used for making soap and even eyeliners (known as date seed kohl).
- In Oman there is this tradition that when a son is born, they plant him a date tree. They believe that as the tree grows it assures him that his family will never suffer from hunger.
- Bedouin tribes of the Middle East, who eat a high percentage of dates in their diet, have one of the lowest rates of cancer.
