Top reasons why dates are superfood

Raw Organic Medjool Dates Ready to Eat. Image: Shutterstock/Brent Hofacker

It’s a dietary staple in the Middle East, not only in its original form, but in juices, desserts, pastes, spreads … the list goes on. But how much do you really know about this humble but power-packed fruit? What if we told you, for example, that an adult can survive on just 15 dates a day?

Mind not blown yet? Well, here’s more:

One cup of dates only has about 400 calories. From this alone, you get about 27 per cent of the recommended daily requirement of potassium and 48 per cent of your daily fibre needs. Dates also provide calcium, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, calcium, and other minerals that help lower blood pressure.

It’s no wonder, then, that dates are such an integral part of Arab culture. That significance increases greatly in the Holy Month of Ramadan, when it is customary for people to break their fast with a handful of dates and milk.

“There is an Arab proverb: ‘A family that has dates will not go hungry’,” says Chef Jean-Luc Vila of Bateel International. Bateel is one of the most luxurious brands for dates in the region, as their dates are carefully hand-picked form their own farms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “The importance of dates as a dietary supplement was well known to the earliest desert people, who sustained themselves for generations on a limited diet of the fruit, taken with camel or goat milk.”

“Dates are not only culturally important but also have religious significance. A great example is the fact that during Ramadan, it is regarded in Sunnah to break your fast with a date. Whether the setting is a tent, a mansion, or a chic café, the ritual of offering coffee and dates to guests has endured as an expression of traditional culture,” he adds.

There are more than 200 varieties of dates, and you can see a lot of these during the  Global Village’s season, especially in the Saudi pavilion. During one visit, one seller explained the variety of dates he dealt in: “We sell over 20 types of dates here, and we are very popular with customers, especially those from the GCC. When it comes to prices, some are affordable, while others are a little more luxurious. Our most popular variety is the Ajwa date; many people buy it due to its importance in Islam.”

There are a number of Hadith relating to the consumption of Ajwa. Here are a couple, as described in IslamQA:

• “He who has a morning meal of seven Ajwa dates will not suffer harm that day through toxins or magic.” (Bukhari, Hadith 5327 and Muslim, Hadith 3814)

• ’Aisha (Radiyallahu Anha) reported Allah’s Messenger as saying, “The Ajwa dates of al-’Aliya contain healing, and they are an antidote (when taken as) first thing in the morning.” (Muslim, Hadith 3815)

FANCY A DATE?

Use our handy guide to make your choice:

Ajwa: Known to Muslims as a holy date, the Ajwa has soft, dark-brown to black skin, with mildly sweet flesh and a raisin-like texture.

Dhawi: Milder than other date varieties, these dates are long and cylindrical in shape and have firm, deep-red skin.

Barhi: Round and golden brown, Barhi dates have a smooth surface and very sweet, caramel-flavoured flesh.

Fankha: The thick and round Fankha dates have soft, reddish-brown skin and very sweet, starchy flesh.

Dakhlanoor: The Dakhlanoor or Deglet Nour date has a soft texture, a translucent blonde colour and a soft caramel-like taste. Its Arabic name translates as “Date of Light.”

Gattara: Small and prune-like, the Gattara date is similar to the Ajwa in both appearance and taste, except that it is slightly bigger and less sweet.

Dekkini: Dark-skinned and elongated, Dekkini dates are very sweet, sticky and chewy.

Khidri: One of the most popular varieties, the Khidri has dark, maroon skin and sweet, chewy flesh.

Nabout Seif: A dark-brown date, the Nabout Seif has loose wrinkled skin and moderately sweet, chewy flesh.

Safawy: The Safawy is a dark and oval-shaped date with creased skin and sweet, chewy flesh, giving it a prune-like texture.

Kholas: Golden brown with smooth, semi-translucent skin, with flesh that is delicate and toffee-flavoured but not too sweet, this is the variety most commonly taken with Arabic coffee.

Sokari (Soft or Hard): Popular in the Middle East, Sokari dates are hard and cone-shaped with creased, yellow skin and mildly sweet flesh. Named after the Arabic word for “sweet”, Sokari dates are also known as royal dates.

Wanan: The Wanan is long and cone-shaped, with dark, wrinkled skin, and soft, mildly sweet flesh. It tastes similar to Khidri but is a little sweeter and softer.

Um Al Hamam: The long and oval-shaped Um Al Hamam has creased, reddish-brown skin over soft and very sweet flesh.

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