About Dates

Introduction:

Date is a flowering plant species in the palm family, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. The species is widely cultivated across Northern Africa, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and South Asia, and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Date trees typically reach about 21–23 meters (69–75 ft) in height, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. Date fruits (dates) are oval-cylindrical, 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 in) long, and about 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) in diameter, ranging from bright red to bright yellow in color, depending on variety. Dates contain a single stone about 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1.0 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) thick.They are very sweet, containing about 75 percent of sugar when dried.

Dates have been a stable food of the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. The total annual world production of dates amounts to 8.5 million metric tons, countries of the Middle East and North Africa being the largest producers.

Sukkari Dates "Sweet one", is a yellow skinned; faintly resilient and extremely sweet, often referred to as ‘royal dates’. It's cultivated primarily in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia. It's arguably the most expensive and premium variety. (Source: Wikipedia)