A Sweet Date
Have you ever had a date? And no, I am not talking about the girl or guy you asked to your senior prom. I’m talking about the sugary, sweet fruit that people often confuse with prunes or figs.
Dates are dense, nutrient-packed and intensely sweet fruits that resemble wrinkled olives or oblong, shriveled grapes. With a smooth, almost plastic-like exterior, the most common varieties, including Medjool and California, are a dark brown-mahogany and contain a long pit in the center. Since they are a member of the palm family, they actually grow on a specific type of palm tree.
Although dates are naturally high in sugar, giving them a sticky, candied taste and feel, they are a good source of potassium, copper, magnesium, and manganese. They even contain moderate amounts of calcium, zinc, and iron and provide about 3 grams of fiber per serving (which is about 5 or 6 dates). All of these vitamins and minerals work in unison, complementing the polyphenols (plant-based antioxidants) also found in dates to make one heart-healthy fruit.
Dates sometimes make their way into households during the winter holidays when the dreaded fruitcakes make an appearance. Then there is the occasional date-nut bread or bran muffin studded with dates. But other than seeing dates, and hardly tasting them, in baked goods, they are almost non-existent in other dishes. One of my favorite ways to eat dates, besides munching on them in their purest form, is by cutting them in half, removing the pit, and stuffing them with cream cheese and walnuts. Eating them this way, you truly get to enjoy the fruit’s natural saccharine sweetness as it is contrasted so well against the crunchy, nutty walnut and the rich, salty cream cheese. Absolute perfection!
I also love tossing chopped dates into rice pilaf with silvered almonds or spiced couscous for a complete harmony of sweet and savory. Stewed into meat dishes, like moroccan chicken or even beef stew, dates add a unique sweetness and depth of flavor that cannot be achieved by any other ingredient.
So, next time you are tempted to bake the same old date-nut bread, step out of your comfort zone and try using dates in a whole new way.
….And referring to the statement from the beginning for a bit of clarification, prunes are dried plums and figs are, well, figs. They can be dried, which causes them to look like prunes or mistaken for dates, but they can also eaten as a fresh, raw fruit….but that’s a whole other topic to discuss anyway.