DATES
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| Majestic palm tree |
Phoenix dactylifera, commonly
known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family,
Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin
is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands
around Iraq. The species is widely
cultivated and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide
Date trees typically reach about 70–75 feet (21–23 m) in height growing singly
or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. The leaves are
4–6 meters (13–20 ft) long, with spines on the petiole, and pinnate, with about
150 leaflets. The leaflets are 30 cm (12 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) wide. The
full span of the crown ranges from 6–10 m (20–33 ft).
The species name dactylifera
"date-bearing" comes from the Greek words daktylos (δάκτυλος), which
means "date" (also "finger"), and fero (φέρω), which means
"I bear”.
History of dates
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| Dry Dates |
Dates have been a staple food of
the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. There is
archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia in 6000 BCE. They
are believed to have originated around what is now Iraq, and have been
cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly
as early as 4000 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians used the fruits to make date wine,
and ate them at harvest.
There is also archeological
evidence of date cultivation in Mehrgarh around 7000 BCE, a Neolithic
civilization in what is now western Pakistan. Evidence of cultivation is
continually found throughout later civilizations in the Indus Valley, including
the Harappan period 2600 to 1900 BCE.
In later times, traders spread
dates around South West Asia, northern Africa, and Spain. The Spaniards
introduced dates into Mexico and California in 1765, around Mission San
Ignacio.
A date palm cultivar, known as
Judean date palm is renowned for its long-lived orthodox seed, which
successfully sprouted after accidental storage for 2000 years. This particular
seed is presently reputed to be the oldest viable seed, but the upper survival
time limit of properly stored seeds remains unknown.
Fossil records show that the date
palm has existed for at least 50 million years.
Dates
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Red Dates,
Traditionally eaten by Copts in Egypt
Symbol of the martyr's during Nyrouz |
The fruit is known as a date. The
fruit's English name (through Old French), as well as the Latin species name dactylifera,
both come from the Greek word for "finger", dáktulos, because of the
fruit's elongated shape. Dates are oval-cylindrical, 3–7 cm long, and 2–3 cm
(0.79–1.18 in) diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to bright yellow
in color, depending on variety. Dates contain a single stone about 2–2.5 cm
(0.79–0.98 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) thick.
Three main cultivar groups of date
exist: soft (e.g. 'Barhee', 'Halawy', 'Khadrawy', 'Medjool'), semi-dry (e.g.
'Dayri', 'Deglet Noor', 'Zahdi'), and dry (e.g. 'Thoory'). The type of fruit
depends on the glucose, fructose, and sucrose content.
The date palm is dioecious, having
separate male and female plants. They can be easily grown from seed, but only
50% of seedlings will be female and hence fruit bearing, and dates from
seedling plants are often smaller and of poorer quality. Most commercial
plantations thus use cuttings of heavily cropping cultivars. Plants grown from
cuttings will fruit 2–3 years earlier than seedling plants.
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| Yellow dates before turning Brown |
Dates are naturally wind
pollinated, but in both traditional oasis horticulture and in the modern
commercial orchards they are entirely pollinated manually. Natural pollination
occurs with about an equal number of male and female plants. However, with
assistance, one male can pollinate up to 100 females. Since the males are of
value only as pollinators, this allows the growers to use their resources for
many more fruit-producing female plants. Some growers do not even maintain any
male plants, as male flowers become available at local markets at pollination
time. Manual pollination is done by skilled laborers on ladders, or by use of a
wind machine. In some areas such as Iraq the pollinator climbs the tree using a
special climbing tool that wraps around the tree trunk and the climber's back
(called تبلية in Arabic) to keep him attached to the trunk while climbing.
Dates ripen in four stages, which
are known throughout the world by their Arabic names kimri (unripe), khlal
(full-size, crunchy), rutab (ripe, soft), tamr (ripe, sun-dried).
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| Date Pit |
Dates are an important traditional
crop in Iraq, Arabia, and North Africa west to Morocco. Dates are also
mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible and 20 times in the Qur'an. In
Islamic culture, dates and yogurt or milk are traditionally the first foods
consumed for Iftar after the sun has set during Ramadan. Dates (especially
Medjool and Deglet Noor) are also cultivated in America in southern California,
Arizona and southern Florida in the United States and in Sonora and Baja
California in Mexico.
Date palms can take 4 to 8 years
after planting before they will bear fruit, and produce viable yields for
commercial harvest between 7 and 10 years. Mature date palms can produce 68 to
176 kilograms of dates per harvest season, although they do not all ripen at
the same time so several harvests are required. In order to get fruit of
marketable quality, the bunches of dates must be thinned and bagged or covered
before ripening so that the remaining fruits grow larger and are protected from
weather and pests such as birds.
Fruit food uses
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| Common commercial Dates |
Dry or soft dates are eaten
out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds,
walnuts, pecans, candied orange and lemon peel, tahini, marzipan or cream
cheese. Pitted dates are also referred to as stoned dates. Partially dried
pitted dates may be glazed with glucose syrup for use as a snack food. Dates
can also be chopped and used in a range of sweet and savory dishes, from tajines
(tagines) in Morocco to puddings, ka'ak (types of Arab cookies) and other
dessert items. Date nut bread, a type of cake, is very popular in the United
States, especially around holidays. Dates are also processed into cubes, paste
called "'ajwa", spread, date syrup or "honey" called
"dibs" or "rub" in Libya, powder (date sugar), vinegar or
alcohol. Vinegar made from dates is a traditional product of the Middle East. Recent innovations include
chocolate-covered dates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some
Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of champagne, for special
occasions and religious times such as Ramadan. When Muslims break fast in the
evening meal of Ramadan, it is traditional to eat a date first.
Dates can also be dehydrated,
ground and mixed with grain to form a nutritious stock feed.
In Southeast Spain (where a large
date plantation exists including UNESCO protected Palmeral of Elche) dates
(usually pitted with fried almond) are served wrapped in bacon and shallow
fried.
It is also used to make Jallab.
Dates provide a wide range of
essential nutrients, and are a very good source of dietary potassium. 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, The glycemic index for three different varieties
of dates are 35.5 (khalas), 49.7 (barhi), and 30.5 (bo ma'an).
The caffeic acid glycoside
3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (also known as dactylifric acid) and its isomers, are
enzymic browning substrates found in dates.
Nomads (Bedouins) in Egypt deserts are know to live on a diet of dry dates and goats milk.
Other uses of the fruits
In Pakistan, viscous thick syrup
made from the ripe fruits is used as a coating for leather bags and pipes to
prevent leaking.
Uses of other parts of the plant
Where craft traditions still thrive,
such as in Oman, the palm tree is the most versatile of all indigenous plants,
and virtually every part of the tree is utilized to make functional items
ranging from rope and baskets to beehives, fishing boats, and traditional
dwellings.
Seeds
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| Variety of Dates in Cairo market |
Date seeds are soaked and ground
up for animal feed. Their oil is suitable for use in soap and cosmetics Date palm seeds contain 0.56–5.4% lauric acid. They can also
be processed chemically as a source of oxalic acid. The seeds are also burned
to make charcoal for silversmiths, and can be strung in necklaces. Date seeds
are also ground and used in the manner of coffee beans, or as an additive to
coffee. Experimental studies have shown that feeding mice with the aqueous
extract of date pits exhibit anti-genotoxic and reduce DNA damage induced by
N-Nitroso-N-methylurea.
Fruit clusters
Stripped fruit clusters are used
as brooms. Recently the floral stalks have been found to be of ornamental value
in households.
Sap
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| Drying dates in the sun |
Sweet sap tapped from date palm in
West Bengal, India, In large parts of Northern India
the local species of wild date palm, Phoenix sylvestris, is tapped for palm
wine, while in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries in the region it is now
mostly tapped for jaggery and palm syrup production. Wild date palms are also
tapped in large parts of Africa for palm wine. The process of palm tapping
involves the cutting of the unopened flower stalk and then fastening a bottle
gourd, clay or plastic vessel on to it. The palm sap then collects in the
vessel and is harvested in the early morning hours. If a few drops of limejuice
are added to the palm sap, fermentation can be stopped and the sap can then be
boiled to form palm syrup, palm sugar, jaggery and numerous other edible
products derived from the syrup. In India and Pakistan, North Africa, Ghana,
and Ivory Coast, date palms are tapped for the sweet sap, which is converted
into palm sugar (known as jaggery or gur), molasses or alcoholic beverages. In
North Africa the sap obtained from tapping palm trees is known as lāgbī. If
left for a sufficient period of time (typically hours, depending on the
temperature) lāgbī easily becomes an alcoholic drink. citation needed Special skill is required when tapping the palm tree so that
it does not die.
Leaves
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| Palm tree bearing red dates (Zaagloul) |
Date palm leaves are used for Palm
Sunday in the Christian religion. In North Africa, they are commonly used for
making huts. Mature leaves are also made into mats, screens, baskets and fans.
Processed leaves can be used for insulating board. Dried leaf petioles are a
source of cellulose pulp, used for walking sticks, brooms, fishing floats and
fuel. Leaf sheaths are prized for their scent, and fibre from them is also used
for rope, coarse cloth, and large hats. The leaves are also used as a lulav in
the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
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| Suite American dates |
Young date leaves are cooked and
eaten as a vegetable, as is the terminal bud or heart, though its removal kills
the palm. The finely ground seeds are mixed with flour to make bread in times
of scarcity. The flowers of the date palm are also edible. Traditionally the
female flowers are the most available for sale and weigh 300–400 grams. The
flower buds are used in salad or ground with dried fish to make a condiment for
bread.
Wood
Date palm wood is used for posts
and rafters for huts; it is lighter than coconut and not very durable.
khishnah coarse (Arabic خشنه): crust made from long thin noodle threads
