UAE Stories and Cultural Learning: Dates
The palm tree is a very special tree to Sheikh Zayed (May his soul rest in peace) and to the people of his country. The people have found use for every part of the tree: From construction house to enjoying the sweet taste of its fruit, dates.
There are two main names for dates in the UAE that refer to the stage of the date.
Tamer: Which is the stage the dates has wrinkly skin and the sweetness is at its peak as it is left to ripe in the sun and then preserved in airtight bags for weeks.
Retab: Which is the stage when the date is picked as it ripest from the palm and has a natural sweetness.
There is another stage, called Beser, where the dates look like small green marbles that have very bland taste.
Some of the famous date’s names are:
*Khunaizi, the red date.
*Barhi and Khlaas, the yellow ones.
Tamer is part of the daily local diet. In some families, it is introduced before the meal and after the meal. It is also the sweet side that accompanies the Arabic coffee.
Dates are also very important during Ramadan. It is the first thing that a Muslim breaks his fast with.
With all the nutrition facts they contain, dates help nourish a human body after a whole day fasting from food and drinks.
Source: UAE 101 Stories and Cultural Learning
