Dates

Commonly known as the Date Palm, is a palm, extensively cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Due to its long history of cultivation for fruit, its exact native distribution is unknown, but probably originated around thePersian Gulf, and has been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 6000 BC. In later times, Arabs spread dates around northern Africa and into Spain.

It is a medium-sized tree, 15–25 m tall, often clumped with several trunks from a single root system, but often growing singly as well. The leaves are pinnate, 3–5 m long, with spines on the petiole and about 150 leaflets; the leaflets are 30 cm long and 2 cm broad. The full span of the crown ranges from 6–10 meters.

Produce

Date is in fact a type of fruit known as an epigynous berry, like the cranberry or blueberry, in which the “fruit” forms above the flower when unripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in colour, depending on variety.

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.

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.

Dates ripen in four stages, which are known throughout the world by their Arabic names kimri (unripe), khalal (full-size, crunchy), rutab (ripe, soft), tamr (ripe, sun-dried).

Date palms can take 4 to 7 years after planting before they will bear fruit, and produce viable yields for commercial harvest between 7 to 10 years. Mature date palms can produce 80–120 kilograms (176–264 lbs) 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 & pests such as birds.

The number of the date palms is about 100 million worldwide.

The date palm is a perennial, the females of which normally begin to bear dates within an average five of years from the time of planting of the offshoot. The date palm reaches an age of about 150 years.

The most important kinds of date

• Amir Hajj or ‘Amer Hajj’ – from Iraq, these are soft with a thin skin and thick flesh, sometimes called “the visitor’s date” because it is a delicacy served to guests.
• Barhee or (barhi) (from Arabic barh, a hot wind) – these are nearly cylindrical, light amber to dark brown when ripe; soft, with thick flesh and rich flavour. One of the few varieties which are good in the khalal stage when they are yellow (like a fresh grape as opposed to dry, like a raisin).
• Deglet Noor (Arabic: ‘translucent’ or ‘date of light’) – so named because the centre appears light or golden when held up to the sun. This is a leading date in Algeria, the USA, and Tunisia, and in the latter country it is grown in inland oases and is the chief export cultivar. It is semi-dry and not very sweet.

• Medjool or (Mujhoolah) (Arabic: ‘unknown’) – from Morocco, also grown in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel; a large, sweet and succulent date. It is named unknown because who owned it at first didn’t know its species and thus called it unknown.
• Sayer (Sayir) (Arabic: ‘common’) – these dates are dark orange-brown, of medium size, soft and syrupy.
• Zahidi (Arabic: ‘[Of the] ascetic’) – these medium size, cylindrical, light golden-brown semi-dry dates are very sugary, and sold as soft, medium-hard and hard.

Food uses

Dates can be eaten as it is, it can be chopped pashed, its nectar taken meal as a sweeter. Dry or soft dates are eaten out-of-hand, Pitted dates are also referred to as stoned dates.. Recent innovations include chocolate-covered dates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some Islamic countries for special occasions and religious times such as Ramadan.

Traditionally the female flowers are the most available for sale and weigh 300-400 grams.

Other uses of the plant

the seed increases the milk produced by cows. Date seeds are soaked and ground up for animal feed. Their oil is suitable for use in soap and cosmetics. They can also be processed chemically as a source of oxalic acid. The seeds are also burned to make charcoal for silversmiths .

Traditional medicinal uses

Dates have a high tannin. As an infusion, decoction, syrup, or paste, dates may be administered for sore throat, colds, bronchial catarrh, and taken to relieve fever and number of other complaints.

The seed powder is also used in some traditional medicines. The roots are used against toothache.

other uses of the dates

It can prevent a lot of cancers as colon, tummy ,etc. one of the properties dates is laxative .although if you ret 6-7 dates in 2 glasses of boild water and drink it in the morning and night or eat some dates and drink 2 glass of water after that, neutralize the extra acid of the tummy .the acid cause stomach-ache , also whenever you have stomach-ache you can use from Chinese traditional medicinal.

Its very useful for kids and elderly .stead of using sugar you can use dates with your tea or use it in your cooking. The athlete must have a strength meal ,which including dates, because of their high activity.

Benefits of dates palm

An olden Arabian byword tells that the benefits of the palm are as much as the days of one year. Appearantly it is so, because it has different benefits. The wood is using in masonry and its big tabs ( sometimes be called wing ) using to build some handcrafts like rope, cane, mat , etc. Dates are sweet and delicious and are the best food for men too. It contains 60% sugar, decstrose ,sacarose ,protein ,pectin, tannin, selolos, starch and fat. It contains vitamins a, b, c , iron , sodium, brimstone, cholor, phosphor. Date is like honey, cookies, coka, sugar. It is usefull for some breath problems, specially for asthma. The seed powder is useful for eyes, specially for cornea.

Nutrition

Dried dates (edible parts) Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 280 kcal 1180 kJ

Carbohydrates 75 g - Sugars 63 g - Dietary fibre 8 g Fat 0.4 g Protein 2.5 g Water 21 g Vitamin C 0.4 mg 1% Manganese 0.262 mg

Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Dates Nutrition Information.

A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is a premium source of vitamin C and supplies 230 kcal (960 kJ) of energy. They are fat free, cholesterol free.Every 100 gram portion includes Vitamin A — 5 mcg beta-carotene and 75 mcg lutein + zeaxanthin and Vitamin B-complex total folate – 13 mcg. A single date contains Vitamin B6 — 0.192 mg. Dates also contain Vitamin A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and more than 20 different amino acids, helping us digest and assimilate carbohydrates easier and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies.

Diseases

Date Palms are susceptible to a disease called Bayoud disease which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. This disease, which kills many of the popular older cultivars like ‘Deglet Noor’, has led to a major decline in production where it is present, notably Morocco and western Algeria. However, new cultivars resistant to the disease are being developed.

 
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