Dates

Dates are the fruit of the date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera which belongs to the family Areaceae,. Dactylifera is Greek word for 'finger-bearing'. The English word date derives from the Greek 'dactylus' and Hebrew 'dachel' which both mean finger. The fruit is a 'drupe' with a single seed in each. They are borne on clusters often weighing 10 kg or more. They contain several minerals including potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamine, folic and ascorbic acid, fats and easily digested sugars (glucose, sucrose and fructose).

Origin and History

The date palm is probably the oldest tree cultivated by man. Dates have been cultivated and traded from as early as 5000 BC and whilst dates were revered by many cultures, the Arabs seem to be the ones who hold it in the greatest esteem. Indeed, it is historically known that desert people, in particular the nomadic Bedouins, lived on dates and camel milk for months on end.

Evidence that the fruit was traded between India and the Arabian Peninsula dates back to the 1st Millennia BC, via the already established Frankincense and Myrrh trade routes.

It is easy to see how the use of this incredible fruit spread throughout the world; once dried, they are light to carry, self preserving (containing a high proportion of sugar) and with the nutritional attributes mentioned above, can be used as a major food source for dessert people, sailors on long voyages and armies as well as livestock.