Date Fruit Treats

 

Dates are fruits, a group of about 55 varieties worldwide. The dates we commonly see and enjoy today originated in the Near East some six thousand years ago. Our modern day grocers do not grow them fresh. They are frozen or dried to make preserves or dried again to make dried fruit spreads and juices.

The flesh of today’s dates is quite soft, unlike the early days when the dates were considered hard. The sweet, aromatic flavors of dates are from the flesh of this very sweet, tangy fruit. The unripe, raw fruit of the dates is also called Pahak (in Bushehr), and sometimes Kharkov (and in Arabic, Hababek). When the dates are ripe, they are red or yellow in color, but once the outer skin of the dates begins to peel off, they become softer and the seeds lose some of their nutritional value.

dates fruit is one of the world’s richest sources of dietary fiber. It provides vitamins A and B-complex, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and iron. In north Africa, dates fruit is eaten on its own, mixed with water or eaten in salads. Other fruits are sometimes added to the dates fruit mixture to make it more palatable.

One of the reasons why dates are so good for you is because of its high amount of natural sugars (sucrose). This sugar is found in higher amounts in dates fruit than in most other fruits. This sugar, along with its high glycemic index (a index which gives a very quick indication of how much glucose is in a food) gives the fruit its high energy value. The energy that the body receives from the date seed is immediately released, which gives the person a burst of energy similar to that of running for just a short period of time.

For those who want a diet that is low on sugar, a good date fruit water treatment is essential. A solution made with fresh date fruit, a few tablespoons of honey and a few teaspoons of lemon juice makes a good alternative to a sugar-rich lemonade. This is a great alternative to the often-slim “dieter’s tea” that some people choose to drink throughout the day. Just add a few dates to the glass of water and stir gently. This will leave a delicious sweet syrup that you can enjoy any time during the day – all without the sugar.

There are many different species of dates in the wild. Dactylifera is the only species in the wild that produces the actual sweet dessert we know as date fruit. Dactylifera can be found in Southern Africa, Australia, Southern Asia, North America and Africa. It is considered an exotic or no-taste crop because its taste buds are not affected by the same things that other fruits’ taste buds experience.