Bejewel Your Soul with Medjool Dates

I have fallen deeply in ooey-gooey love with Medjool dates. I always thought dates were those hard little squares in otherwise perfectly good granola cereal so I never developed the incentive to seek them out.

Until recently…and now I can’t quit. And I’m so curious about them so I’ve done some research to learn all about Medjool dates to share with you.

Medjool dates are considered the “Cadillac of dates,” the “king of dates,” the “diamond of dates,” or the “crown jewel of dates” for their prized large size, extraordinary sweetness and chewy texture.

They originally came to the United States from Morocco. For centuries they were served to royalty and dignitaries. However in the 1920’s a root disease threatened the Moroccan date palms so the sheik of Morocco sent eleven immature palms to replant in the United States.

It is from these eleven palms that the Medjool industry has developed into what it is today in the United States. The Bard Valley desert in California, with dry heat and low rainfall, is the largest producer of Medjool dates in America.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), perhaps the oldest cultivated tree in the world dating back 5,000 years probably in Iraq, is known as “The Tree of Life” to the Muslim people and is a holy symbol.

It has been used for textile fiber for weaving and baskets, shelter material, fuel and food, and has sustained nomadic tribes of the Middle East and North Africa for centuries. Dates have been providing sustenance, healing properties, religious symbolism and financial equity for thousands to years.

Dates have been found in the tombs of Pharaohs and kings to give them sustenance in their journey into the afterlife. Dates are mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible and 20 times in the Qur’an.

Pollination of the palms and harvesting of the fruit is a tedious process all done by hand. The fruit can be eaten fresh and ripe, but it is more commonly sun-dried on the tree which not only lengthens their lifespan and prevents early spoilage, but also deepens their sweet taste.

Medjool dates are considered “soft” dates – as compared to dry or semi-dry – in reference to texture and taste and are considered to be the most exquisite because of how much harder they are to grow. They are highly susceptible to loss by birds and insects, poor air quality and soil moisture.

There are many varieties of dates and they all provide a wide range of essential nutrients and are a very good source of fiber and dietary potassium. One Medjool date has about 70 calories of which 97% are from carbohydrates, 2% from protein and 1% from fat. Dates are a significant source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, beta carotene, Vitamin A and lutein in addition to potassium. They contain 18 of the 22 standard amino acids.

To me the Medjool date tastes like candy. It’s gooey, chewy and tastes like dark, rich caramel laced with raw honey and brown sugar with a hint of cinnamon. They are deep amber in color and have a slightly wrinkled skin (like a huge raisin) that shimmers from natural sugar crystals.

There is one pit in the center which is very easy to remove. They are not inexpensive ($6 to $10 per pound), however, considering the delicate nature of the fruit and the laborious hand cultivation, they seem to me to be worth every delicious penny.

There are many recipes to make with Medjool dates and a variety of ways to stuff them, but I can’t think of any reason to eat them in any other way than straight out of the box. To me they are perfect just like they arrive. In fact, I’ve eaten five of them while writing this blog post!

Ok, I lied. It was six.