Dates, Glorious Dates
Until I started traveling in the Middle East and North Africa, I had no appreciation for dates (the fruit, that is). The lone boxes purchased to make Christmas cookies often languished well beyond their “sell by” date. Better late than never: I am now a convert.
Omanis consume dates from sun up to sunrise with the average person eating almost 1/2 pound a day. Dates are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and mineral and their high sugar content (40–80 percent) protects them against bacterial contamination and means they can be stored for years.
Oman has a population of 4.5 million people and has 8.5 million date palms producing 58 varieties and occupying approximately 85 per cent of the total area under fruit cultivation (about 50 per cent of the total agricultural land). There is archeological evidence of date cultivation in the region as early as 6000 BCE and dates are mentioned frequently in the Bible and the Koran.
We spent a morning at Birkat al M0uz just outside of Nizwa , said to produce the most delicious dates in Oman. The water is provided by Aflaj irrigation, a gravity driven system that was placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2006.
Date Palms start bearing fruit after 7-8 years and a mature tree can produce over 300 pounds per year. Although harvest season was over and pollination had not yet begun, one local showed us how he scales the tree to accomplish these tasks. It requires an enormous amount of strength. coordination and balance, to say nothing of thick soles!
These dates are past their prime and will be used as fertilizer or animal feed. No part of the date tree goes wasted. The wood provides an important source of building material, the leaves and fronds are used to make walls, roofs, baskets, ropes and medicines.
Wherever we went, we were offered dates and a cup of Qahwa. Custom dictates the host continue refilling the guest’s cup until the empty cup is shaken from side to side, at which point the host can imbibe. The basic recipe includes coffee, cardamon, rose water and either saffron or cinnamon and cloves. It did not do much for jet lag, as its caffeine content is low, but we enjoyed partaking in the ritual.
More on Omani cuisine in the next Foodie Friday!
travel magnolia 
I love dates. Hadley’s in Palm Springs has great date shakes. Carolyn
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Thanks for the tip Carolyn! I will put that in my “must see” file for next time I’m in that area!
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We call dates candy at our house … James especially likes them!.
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Sweet baby James! That’s great! Omanis swear they are healthy…!
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What a great post! I learned lots!
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Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it.
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Mmmm, delicious! And Qahwa sounds great too. Were you one of the brave ones who attempted to climb the date palm, or were you happy to leave it to the pros?
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I stayed safely on the ground 😉
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Hahaha! Very wise!
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Hi,
If you would like to try the local Omnai dates and honey, please visit us at http://www.jadeel.com
Our facebook page is: jadeel
Our guests are always welcome to try before they buy. We are located in Bousher/Al Ansab and opening soon in Qurum, Al Araimi Complex.
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Thanks for visiting! Next time I am in Muscat I will definitely stop by. Omani honey is fantastic, too!
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Hi Maggie!
Thanks for this post. I’ve had a pretty rubbish experience in Oman and I’ve never returned, but the more I read about it the more I think I’ve lucked out, because it seems quite a place!
Looking forward to read more about it!
Fabrizio
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Hi Fabrizio – Sorry to hear about your bad luck there. I think Oman is great, as you will see in my next few posts. Thanks for stopping by! Maggie
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So you finally had your `date’ with Oman! Enjoyed reading this post!
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Thank you so much! More to come on Oman!
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Well I wasn’t expecting to learn about Omani dates today! Lovely post, although you wouldn’t catch me climbing up that date tree 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by! I kept my two feet on the ground, too!
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I current live in Muscat and frequently enjoy dates as well – I learned even more from your great post though!! I do hope you get to make it down to Salalah as well 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by! I am glad you enjoyed the post. Just working on another about Nizwa,Misfat etc. Lucky you to live in such a fascinating part of the world. Muscat seems like a great place to live.
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Did you see date “dibs”? I always have a pot, great in desserts. I love finding the different things they do with dates here, chocolate dipped ones being a particular favourite!
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Loved dibs, but wasn’t sure I could bring it back to the States. I am going to see if I can order on line. We particularly enjoyed it drizzled over fresh cheese on the yummy bread.
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You can bring it back to the states! Also I saw it online as well on amazon. It’s way cheaper though in Oman 😀
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Good to know! Thanks so much. I will order some asap to tide me over until my next visit.
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Very nice experiences in Oman! I’m juust returning from Oman and I brought back plenty of dates for my family and friends, and myself lol The dates are soo sweet compared to others, yet small so it’s not overpowering. And like you mentioned, they go great with qahwa.
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