Fat (Per 100 gr)
0.4 g
Calories (Per 100 gr)
282 Kcal
Carbs (Per 100 gr)
75 g
Chol (Per 100 gr)
0 mg
Dates
Dates were cultivated 8,000 years ago in what is now Iraq, and there are over 200 varieties of fruit today. Approximately 3% of the world's agricultural crops are date palms, which bring 4 million tons of crops per year. The most expensive variety on the market, Medjool, large and caramel-like, is the most difficult to grow.
The most important thing to know about this fruit for followers of a healthy lifestyle is its calorie content. One glass of dates contains about 400 calories and 93 grams of sugar. This glass also contains 27% of the recommended daily value of potassium and 48% of the daily requirement for fiber.
Now let's get more detailed information about every topic related to dates. Also, don’t forget to share this article about dates with others who want to learn about dates.
Why Dates?
Dates are amazing fruits with amazing properties. No other dried fruits can be compared with them in terms of the number of nutrients. They can be given to children as a sweet and not worry about sugar, and nutritionists even advise including them in the diet of losing weight. Not to mention the "medical" benefits, because dried fruits contain a large supply of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that have a beneficial effect on various body systems. Here is some awesome information about its various benefits.
Dates Benefits
The sweet fruits of the date palm have long been eaten, so its benefits for the body have been known for a long time. For many centuries they have taken pride of place on the tables of Muslims as a gift sent down from above.
1. Normalizing the activity of the nervous system
It helps cleanse the intestines and lower blood pressure. Normalizes the activity of the nervous system, relieving stress. Improves mental abilities due to the content of fructose, a sugar that is easily broken down and absorbed by our bodies. Vitamin A supports and improves eyesight.
2. Being good for the musculoskeletal system
The abundant B vitamins contribute to the development and normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
3. Strengthening and speeding uterus contractions
The useful properties of dates can also include their ability to increase the tone of the uterus, strengthening and speeding up its contractions, which is useful in the last stage of pregnancy just before childbirth.
4. Improving energy
The increased content of monosaccharides has made the fruit an indispensable source of energy. Dates can be used as an anthelmintic (if consumed on an empty stomach), and also as an adjunct in the treatment of hepatitis.
5. Being good for nails, hair, and skin
Dates, the benefits of which have long been beyond doubt, have a beneficial effect on the activity of almost all body systems. Their use helps to cope with brittle nails, hair loss, and dry skin.
6. Nourishing nerve cells
A high concentration of such an important element as phosphorus (along with sucrose) made the fruits a product that nourishes nerve cells and increases their tone, which has a positive effect on mental activity. they are one of the most easily digestible and digestible foods. This allows all valuable substances to be absorbed in full, entering the bloodstream as quickly as possible and nourishing the cells of the body, which helps to quickly relieve fatigue and energize.
7. Treating anemia
Speaking about the benefits and harms of dates, one cannot fail to note their participation in hematopoiesis due to the high content of iron. This makes them a product actively included in the menu of people with iron deficiency anemia. In addition, they are good for increasing appetite. Dates are useful for the normal activity of the liver and enhance sexual desire. This is an excellent remedy for preventing migraines and relieving headaches.
Dates & Diabetes
In diabetes, to control blood sugar levels and avoid the development of complications, it is important to stick to a diet. Patients evaluate any product according to several parameters: glycemic index, carbohydrate content, and calorie content of the product. These fruit for diabetes should be used with caution since in all these parameters they are inferior to ordinary fruits and dried fruits. But due to the presence of many useful substances in them, a small amount of them can be beneficial.
Nutritional value
This wonderful dry fruit has a high content of minerals: copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese, potassium, calcium, fluorine, and others. As well as vitamins: A, C, B1, B2, and B6. Ten dates can satisfy the body's daily requirement for copper, magnesium, and sulfur.
Uses
Dates, as a food product, are used in Many foods such as:
- Pickles
- Jam
- Jelly
- Syrup
- Oil
- Candies
- Bars
Also, dates in the Khalal stage are ideal for meat products that need antioxidant-rich additives without the sweet taste. Rhutab stage dates are high in sugar and lower in phenols and can be used as natural sweeteners in dairy and confectionery products. At the ripening stage, the fruits of dates are processed into jam, bars, paste, or syrup.
Maintenance of Dates
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Keeping in a closed container
Dried dates as well as in compressed form, require certain storage conditions. Store them in a closed container (container, jar) at low temperatures. At the same time, they should be periodically ventilated. But it is impossible to leave it open for a long time: the fruits quickly absorb all the smells of the environment.
Such dried fruits will maintain usable for up to 12 months. And before storing dried dates, they should not be washed. It is better to do this immediately before using them.
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Freezing
In frozen form, the shelf life of dried fruits increases significantly. Without loss of taste and structure, they will last about 4-5 years. A plastic container with a lid or parchment paper will help to avoid weathering dried fruits and prevent them from absorbing extraneous flavors.
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Re-freezing
Re-freezing is contraindicated for this product, so it should be distributed in portions, in an amount sufficient for use at a time. And defrosting should be gradual, on the shelf of the refrigerator.
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Keeping in glass containers
Storage of dried dates may well occur in natural conditions. Due to a large amount of sugar, the fruit decomposition process does not start at temperatures below + 20° C and humidity not higher than 70%. It is also important that dried fruits are in glass containers, in a place close to bright light, where it is the coolest. There they will remain usable for up to 1 month.
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Using plastic bags
It is impossible to store them in plastic bags. They won't be able to breathe there. Therefore, if dried fruits were sold packaged in this way, it is better to immediately move them to another container. Paper bags, food containers, and ceramic or glass containers are suitable for this.
Precaution
Dates are digested for a long time in the stomach, loading it and leaving it without rest. Therefore, excessive consumption of treats can "stop" the stomach and lead to the development of constipation.
Even if a person has no contraindications to eating these fruits, you should not eat more than 10 fruits a day. This portion is enough for adults and children in order to get the maximum benefit from them.
Top Dates Exporters in the World
Global Consumption & Production
The potential of dates in international markets is huge, especially since organic dates are increasingly in demand around the world as consumers' awareness of healthy products grows. Countries that produce dates should use the UAE's competitive advantage and strategic location to further increase the production activities of local dates. Dates, which come in hundreds of varieties, play a significant role in the economy of many countries along the so-called Fertile Crescent. With the economic outlook favorable for date companies, this is definitely an industry to watch.
Top 10 Exporter of Dates in the World
HS code 080410 (Fruit, edible; dates, fresh or dried)
Top 10 Importer of Dates in the World
HS code 080410 (Fruit, edible; dates, fresh or dried)
IRAN DATES
Iran is one of the top countries in date production in the whole world. About 3 thousand types of dates have been identified in the world, of which 400 types are cultivated in Iran. According to the available information about the various types of them produced in Iran, nearly 12 types are exportable and nearly 16 of them are distributed in the domestic market. Some other types are also known only locally.
Why Iran Dates?
Iran is one of the countries that has suitable conditions for date cultivation and the best of them are produced in Iran. Iranian delicious dates such as Mazafati, Piarom, Rabbi, Zahedi, and Khasoei have many fans around the whole world.
Types of Dates
Date trees are cultivated in 15 cities of the country. The provinces of Kerman, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Bushehr, Fars, and Sistan Baluchistan account for 98% of the country's date production and are considered one of the main date production areas in the country. About 90% of the country's date production is surplus to domestic consumption, which shows the importance of exporting this product.
Piarom Dates
Piaroms have more fans in European countries due to their large and fleshy nature. Piarom type is rich in sugar, protein, and minerals and has a high nutritional value. Piarom is among the most expensive and luxurious types of dates produced in Iran, and the largest volume of this fruit is produced in Hormozgan.
Most of the sugar inside Piarom is fructose, which is used quickly and easily in the body's metabolism and is well-suited as the sugar allowed by people with diabetes.
Zahedi Dates
Zahedi belongs to the categories of dry and semi-dry dates. This date is grown in tropical and also southern parts of Iran. This type range in color from yellow to light brown and is known for its wonderful taste.
Iranian Zahedi type is the most commonly used dried date. Zahedi is less hygroscopic compared to other Persian dates, and their moisture content is less than 14%. Iranian Zahedi date is known for its high quality and nutritional value. Zahedi dates are small, round, and about 3.5 cm in size.
Gentar Dates
Gentar is one of the varied dates which is eaten in fresh mode. This type has a small seed. The Gentar has a semi-dry texture, oval shape, and brownish-brown color.
Kabkab Dates
Kabkab is among the group of semi-dry or wet dates in Iran, which are oval in appearance with a thick skin attached to the fruit. This type of date is mostly grown in the southern cities of the country, including Bushehr, and has a lot of juice.
It is also interesting to know that the weight of each Kabakab date is about 15 grams, and the amount of date meat with the kernel is estimated to be about 25.9%. These features have a direct impact on the price of Kabkab.
Piarom Dates
Piaroms have more fans in European countries due to their large and fleshy nature. Piarom type is rich in sugar, protein, and minerals and has a high nutritional value. Piarom is among the most expensive and luxurious types of dates produced in Iran, and the largest volume of this fruit is produced in Hormozgan.
Most of the sugar inside Piarom is fructose, which is used quickly and easily in the body's metabolism and is well-suited as the sugar allowed by people with diabetes.
Zahedi Dates
Zahedi belongs to the categories of dry and semi-dry dates. This date is grown in tropical and also southern parts of Iran. This type range in color from yellow to light brown and is known for its wonderful taste.
Iranian Zahedi type is the most commonly used dried date. Zahedi is less hygroscopic compared to other Persian dates, and their moisture content is less than 14%. Iranian Zahedi date is known for its high quality and nutritional value. Zahedi dates are small, round, and about 3.5 cm in size.
Gentar Dates
Gentar is one of the varied dates which is eaten in fresh mode. This type has a small seed. The Gentar has a semi-dry texture, oval shape, and brownish-brown color.
Kabkab Dates
Kabkab is among the group of semi-dry or wet dates in Iran, which are oval in appearance with a thick skin attached to the fruit. This type of date is mostly grown in the southern cities of the country, including Bushehr, and has a lot of juice.
It is also interesting to know that the weight of each Kabakab date is about 15 grams, and the amount of date meat with the kernel is estimated to be about 25.9%. These features have a direct impact on the price of Kabkab.
Palm tree
The palm tree is an upright tree whose height reaches 10 to 20 meters, and the trunk of the date is formed from the remnants of the leaf sheath. Date leaves are feathery, big, and six meters long. Each leaf comes out of a sheath that is surrounded by a network of fibers.
Its small and fragrant flowers appear on two male and female plants. The female flowers are white and the male flowers are milky and leathery. Each large flower cluster may contain 6 to 10 thousand flowers.
Planting & harvesting
Choosing the right time to plant seedlings has a great impact on the success of the date palm tree. Cultivable date palm seedlings are sensitive to harsh environmental conditions and are severely damaged in case of very high temperatures or humidity.
Therefore, the planting time of seedlings should be done in such a way that they do not immediately face very low or very high temperatures and have enough time for initial establishment. Seedling planting can be done in two seasons: autumn or winter.
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1
Planting
February, March, April
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2
Harvesting
September, August
Processing
Dates have a moisture content of more than 20% and are exposed to microbial attacks, especially yeasts, and molds, in hot and humid conditions. The pH of dates is about 2.6-5.6, which is suitable for the activity of these microorganisms. Dates are a valuable and indigenous product of our country and in terms of production, it ranks first in the world. While the status of date export and its transformation industries cannot be defined.
With the problems and limitations that are always faced by the producers of date processing, but still, the establishment of a date factory and processing line is a golden opportunity that cannot be ignored. This opportunity is related to date processing with a broader vision of increasing local and international market share in global markets.
Different stages in the date processing line. The dates processing process is carried out briefly during the following operations:
1. Receive the load
The purchased dates are transferred to the factory and received by the employees of the complex, which is done by mentioning the date and time of delivery by the relevant employee.
2. Weighing
One of the stages in the date production line is the weighing stage. The dates go to a section as a weighing section so that the weighing process is carried out on them.
3. Disinfection with gas
Disinfection will be the first step and this operation may take ten days before processing the dates. This operation can prevent dates from being contaminated.
4. Evaluation or measurement
At this stage, the dates are classified according to the provided formula. In general, dates are divided into six general categories.
5. Washing and drying
Dates are washed in a rotary washer and then dried by hot air in a sanitary environment.
6. Detection of metals
This process is also done simultaneously with the grading or sorting process. This process should be done to remove any metal pieces that may have entered the process of the date anyway.
7. Final weighing and packaging
At this stage, clean and graded dates are weighed and then packed according to the requirements provided. In general, these packages can be done as 5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg, or 25 kg according to local or international conditions.
8. Product quality check
Required quality checks are carried out at each stage of the date processing line process, and random samples are tested to check cleanliness, correct classification or measurement, etc.
Sorting
In Iran’s dates sorting line, in addition to the sorting section, also consists of sorting conveyors and date inspection. After separating the scraps with vibrator sanders, the dates are poured into the sorting belt. In this section, the workers of the workshop are stationed on both sides of the conveyor belt. Their job is to review and separate grades one and two. For this section, you can use the lighting above the sort section and the bottom bar.
Packing
There are various types of date packaging according to the type of product and the target market and dates are packaged by professional packaging machines.
EXPORT
Unfortunately, in recent years, the production of dates in Iran has decreased from 1.3 million tons to less than 1.1 million tons per year. Egypt is the first country to produce this product in the world, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Iraq have taken second, third, fourth, and fifth place respectively in terms of production. The main target markets of Iran for exporting dates are Pakistan, India, China, Afghanistan, Turkey, and UAE.
Shipping
Sea transportation is carried out from all the southern ports of the country such as Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Khorramshahr, Imam Khomeini Port, Chabahar Port, etc., due to the greater facilities of container handling and unloading in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr ports, most of the container cargoes come from these two mentioned ports. The shipping of dates is mainly carried out by regular containers or cold storage ones. The Shipping costs of regular containers are cheaper than cold storage ones.
How to identify Fresh, Healthy Dates?
Be sure to pay attention to the type of packaging because the packaging should be based on standard principles, the packaging material should be suitable, there should not be any insects or plants in the packaging. Also, the packaging should not be damaged or broken.
Another point in relation to buying this product is the color, each of the types has a specific color that indicates that they are ripe. Although you should pay attention to the fact that dates experience many colors until the stage of ripening, at the end it turns into a specific color. It is better to keep the original color of the type in mind when buying. Just make sure at the time of purchase, you are buying from a reputable center.
14 wonderful products of Dates
1. Syrup
The syrup has a dark caramel color and a sweet fruity aroma. Date syrup is especially popular in Asian countries. Natural date syrup is an alternative to sugar and other sweeteners.
2. Jam
Date jam is one of the most awesome and tasty jams and you can prepare this incredible jam for your breakfast and eat it in the mornings.
3. Vinegar
Although date vinegar is one of the oldest known kinds of vinegar, many people have not heard of date vinegar or its amazing health benefits. Date vinegar can ease labor pains, help people with menstrual problems, and boost heart health.
4. Chopped dates
Chopped dates are mainly used for adding energy bars, pudding, cakes, and oatmeal.
5. Date palm sugar
The main use of this product is to use it in many foods and drinks instead of available white sugar.
6. Juice
Known as the most awesome health tonic, The juice is good for kids and adults.
7. Date paste
the paste is an excellent and natural substitute for sugar and it can be used in baking instead of harmful white sugar.
8. Date oil
Being rich in omega 6, date oil can be a good oil for cooking and it can be used instead of regularly available oils in the market.
9. Industrial Pitted Dates
Industrial pitted dates which are semi-dry dates are rich in many various vitamins and minerals. These types of dates, which have awesome taste, are great for snacking.
10. Powder
Being made from natural date, date powder can be used in cooking, baking, and smoothies in people’s everyday diets.
11. Chocolate dates
One of the healthy snacks is chocolate dates, which has been able to attract people of all ages with its healthy and delicious ingredients.
12. Palm cheese
Date palm cheese contains essential fatty acids and useful minerals, especially zinc, which have anti-inflammatory effects. The amount of raw fiber in the samples shows their nutritional value and it is suggested that this product be used as a cholesterol-free nutrient in different diets.
13. Dates kernel oil
Date kernel oil is known as a healing and effective extract in traditional Iranian medicine as an elixir of youth and freshness for skin and hair.
14. Kernel powder
Date kernel powder is good for reducing cholesterol levels, reducing hair loss, and controlling blood pressure.
Persian Dishes with dates
"Tamireh Khorma" is one of the most awesome Persian dishes which is a special and different kind of omelet that you have always tried, the combination of dates and walnuts, which has very high energy, will give a different taste to the food and improve the quality of your day. Other Persian dishes are date pizza and date pilaf which are so popular and also tasty.
Persian Pastries with dates
There are lots of Persian pastries such as date pie, date cookies, date roll biscuits, and also Ranginak which are so popular in Iran. These mentioned Persian pastries are so easy to make and all people should try to make them because they are so awesome.
Conclusion
In this article about dates, we learned that dates have two grams of protein and several types of antioxidants and are also a good source of manganese, copper, vitamin B6, iron, and magnesium. Also, don’t forget to share this article with other people who are interested in learning more about this wonderful fruit.
