I never gave dates much of a chance until I was recommended to try the bacon-wrapped date appetizer at Biaggi’s in Perrysburg (sorry Muslim friends, but everything truly is better with bacon). That divine little appetizer steered me on a path toward full-on date acceptance. Then my Saudi students started gifting me dates they had brought from home and I realized there is an entire world of dates beyond the dried-out, bagged variety at Walmart.
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There are black dates and brown dates, gooey sugary dates and wrinkly dry dates. They can be dipped, stuffed, ground into paste, or used as sweetener in milkshakes. And they are always, always served with Arabic coffee. Saudi grows their own dates, of course, and after a quick google search, I found out they’re the world’s second-largest producer. I would love to visit a date farm someday! 🌴
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Dates are revered here because of their nutritious, superfood qualities but they’re also an integral part of Muslim culture. They are touted as having healing properties and according to their traditions, Prophet Muhammed himself encouraged people to eat dates for breakfast as protection from poison and curses. In the Quran, it is written that Mary birthed Jesus under a palm tree and, as a newborn baby, Jesus spoke and urged Mary to eat the dates from the tree to replenish her strength in mind and body. For this reason, I was also encouraged repeatedly from my local friends (and acquaintances) to eat dates every morning while pregnant. ☺️ I didn’t mind. They’re delicious, why not?? (Unless I’m worried about cavities.)
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This pic was taken at one of many date shops in Al Balad, the historic part of town.
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My favorite way to eat dates currently is to slice one in half, add a dollop of Greek yogurt, a dollop of peanut butter, sprinkle a few chocolate chips and freeze it. It tastes just like a Reese’s cup. 😋 (Recipe courtesy of @kristinjohns)
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