Racy Red Dates

Dates are one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits. It is believed that they were grown by the Babylonians as long as 8000 years ago, and in those early times, the date palm was regarded as the ‘tree of life’. Every part was used : the buds and fruit were eaten or dried, the sap was drunk, the fibres were woven and the date stones (pits) were used as fuel or fodder for donkeys and camels. Today, centuries on, dates still have a special, even sacred, role in Arabic and Islamic cultures.

The Month of Ramadan or the Muslim Holy Month (of which we are now into the 2nd week of) always coincides with an abundance of dates - - both fresh and dried - - at the market.

I enjoy dates in both their dried and fresh states, but I do have fairly strong preferences as to which varietal I like to eat (what can I say? I can be a picky eater).

For the dried versions, to be eaten as is, I’m more partial to those from the Middle East, with the Medjool (regarded by some as the Rolls Royce of dried dates) and the Maryam (which has a thicker, harder “skin” than the Medjool that I usually peel off before eating) being my favorites ; I love their almost meltingly tender, soft, sticky sweetness. If indeed, like the Muslims, I am fasting and have spent the entire day since before sunrise without any food or water, I can’t think of a nicer (or sweeter) way to prepare my stomach for a large and substantial meal. The dates are supposed to help gently neutralize the acid juices in the stomach, and to aid digestion.

Apart from being eaten on their own, dried dates are of course great for baking with - - whether in moist fruit cakes or hot sticky puddings, or even just simply tossed in juicy fresh fruit salads. They also combine well with nuts, particularly walnuts and almonds. And who can resist a luscious dried date stuffed with a small roll of marzipan and topped with a toasted walnut half? Or a sweet dried date made richer and yet more subtle with a cream cheese filling?

However, when it comes to Chinese dried dates, the fruit is used almost exclusively in cooking only. Dried red dates are used to naturally sweeten both savory and sweet soups. They are also added to herbal concoctions, as they are believed to be very nourishing and restoring for the body.

When it comes to fresh dates though, my preferences are reversed : I much prefer the Chinese red date for eating as is, and am not taken at all with the fresh varieties from the Middle East. I tend to find the latter to be rather lacking in any really distinctive characteristics - - they are sweet but just barely so, they are slightly juicy but really not that juicy at all, and their texture tend towards “hard” crunchiness rather than a juicy crunchy crispness. And oftentimes, they can leave a gummy sappiness in the mouth that I don’t find appealing.

Fresh Chinese red dates on the other hand are a pleasure to sink your teeth into. At an average size of about 3 to 4 cm (1” to 1½”), they almost resemble miniature apples.

But the delight comes when you take that first bite - - they are sweet, very juicy with a rather tender crisp crunchiness. And yes, they taste somewhat similar to a red apple - - sweeter, with slightly less dribble-down-your-chin juiciness, and with a crunchy crisp texture that is just a tad more compact on the bite than an apple. Their fragrance and flavors are very delicate and beautifully refreshing!

I love these fresh Chinese red dates! (And yes, these are the same red dates that are most commonly sold in their dried forms for use in cooking.) They are rather more-ish ; once you start on one, it’s quite hard to stop until you’ve had more than a handful. And they are delightful! Their season is fleeting, so now is the best time to catch them.

Enjoy!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
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