Rare and Unusual Date Varieties

Description

HISTORY:

Dates are among the oldest fruits cultivated by humans. It is estimated that people have been growing dates for thousands of years BC. There exist hundreds (if not thousands) of unique date varieties grown worldwide. Each named and cultivated variety originated from a seed. From the original seedlings offshoots (identical clones that emerge from the parent palm) grew and were transplanted hence multiplying the variety.

The vast majority of known varieties originated in the Middle East. However dozens of American varieties also exist. These American seedlings, many of which were found growing in the wild around the desert regions of Southern California and Arizona, were cultivated by early pioneers in the US date industry. However there is little to no commercial production of these varieties today save for the handful of local farms who keep these heirloom varieties going.

We are excited to begin offering other rare and unusual varieties to our customers.  With a range of colors, textures and flavor profiles these varieties are a great way to explore the world of dates!

VARIETIES:

Halawi – a medium sized date, creamy texture with a pleasing buttery vanilla brown sugar flavor. Some have compared the flavor to pecan pie. We would agree. Originally from Iraq, the name Halawi means “sweet” in Arabic.