Fresh dates from the Orient

Fresh dates from the Orient

Fresh or dried, in paste, filled or eaten as they are, dates are much more than a simple delicacy. Renowned since the dawn of time for their many virtues, these fruits with their tender, sweet flesh are very rich in various nutrients that are essential for good health.

As always, MuscOrient offers you the treasures of the Orient, and has taken care to select the best fresh dates for you, with their melt-in-the-mouth flesh and pleasant honeyed flavour. Sight, smell and taste, your senses will all be awakened with our well-formed, soft and fragrant dates. For snacking, aperitifs, cakes and even savoury dishes, our selection of organic dates will delight even the most discerning palates! Tasting fresh dates with their sweet flavours is always a special experience!

Organic dates: an age-old Bedouin fruit!

The fruit of the date palm, a tree emblematic of the Saharan oases and the Bedouin's staple diet, when fully ripe dates are golden in colour, with melt-in-the-mouth flesh and a pleasant honeyed flavour. The date tree can grow to over 20 metres in height, has no branches or twigs, and its palmate leaves, which form a bunch at the top, vary in length from two to six metres. The fruit is fleshy, oblong, 4 to 6 cm long and contains an elongated stone with a longitudinal groove. Dates grow in large bunches under the leaves and can weigh up to 20 kg. Large trees will yield more than 1,000 dates each year, although they do not all ripen at the same time, so several harvests are necessary.

From a soft yellow to an icy brown, dates (in the shops) change appearance depending on whether they are fresh or dehydrated. Once ripe, fresh dates become more fragile and delicate to transport and store. Dried dates, on the other hand, travel well and keep much longer.

For centuries, dates have been the staple diet of Bedouins in the arid zones of the Near and Middle East. Different varieties have been developed to allow desert dwellers, who ate dates on a daily basis, to vary the pleasures.

For the record, the origin of dates is unknown due to their very ancient cultivation, but they are thought to have been grown in the Middle East region from around 6000 BC. J.-C.. Fossil records, meanwhile, show that the date palm has existed for at least 50 million years! Since their discovery, organic dates have spread widely in many regions and were first propagated by the Arabs in Spain, Italy, South-West Asia and North Africa. They were then spread by the Spanish to Mexico and California.

Organic dates: a fruit highly valued for its many nutritional benefits!

Dates are very rich in vitamins, fibre and antioxidants, making them a natural food supplement par excellence. In fact, they have a certain nutritional richness that makes them very beneficial to our health! Thanks to their fibre, dates help to regulate intestinal transit and combat constipation. As well as fighting constipation, dates also combat intestinal disorders by inhibiting the growth of pathogenic organisms. The growth of good bacteria is then stimulated and digestive disorders are forgotten.

Because of their glucose, fructose and sucrose content, they are an excellent source of energy for the cells, making them a good source of energy during physical exertion, particularly if it is prolonged. Fresh dates are also particularly rich in potassium, making them a food of choice for athletes and the elderly. They compensate for a lack of iron in the body, while providing strength and energy. Feelings of tiredness and sluggishness tend to diminish and even disappear completely. They also contain significant quantities of magnesium and iron. The vitamins and potassium they contain give the nervous system a real boost and optimise its functioning. Healthy and responsive, it gains in speed and alertness.

Containing selenium, manganese and copper as well as magnesium, dates are excellent for boosting bone health. They help to develop and maintain bones, prevent fractures and can even ward off certain diseases such as osteoporosis.

Organic dates are also very low in fat, which our diet often contains in excess. What's more, they help to lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, thereby protecting the cardiovascular system as a whole. So eating them once or twice a week is enough to improve your health. And these are just a few examples of the unsuspected virtues of dates!

MuscOrient offers you high-quality fresh dates

We offer you fresh dates that follow a certain protocol, precisely to remain within the organic standard. They are grown without GMOs, herbicides or insecticides. The date palms grow and develop in a totally healthy and natural way. In order to obtain top-quality fruit, the date bunches are covered before ripening so that the fruit grows and is protected from bad weather and pests.

Likewise, our fresh dates come from producers who are very attentive to ethical issues and respect for the ecosystem. This responsible approach is reflected, for example, in our refusal to use intensive farming methods, and in our preservation of plant and animal species when they are threatened.

All in all, our organic dates evoke the refinement of Oriental culinary traditions! They call forth spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger, cloves, etc.), and go well with almonds, pistachios and other dried fruits, poultry, white meats and even lamb. When it comes to cheese, pair fresh dates, figs or sultanas with goat's cheese or ewe's cheese! A few chopped dates can also replace raisins in homemade bread rolls!