Dates: forms, traditional uses and sensible cautions

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Dates are the fruit of the date palm, a desert tree whose sweet, chewy harvest has fed travellers for thousands of years. This page covers what a date actually contains, what North African and Middle Eastern food traditions ask of it, how to use fresh and dried dates tonight, and who should go carefully with them.

What it is credited with

• Because it is dense in carbohydrates, the date has a long-standing reputation as a quick-energy food — carried by desert travellers, and still favoured by walkers, cyclists and athletes for a pocket snack.
• Traditional household cooking across North Africa gave dates to children, to people with small appetites and to anyone convalescing, simply as a concentrated, easily eaten food.
• Dates are rich in insoluble fibre, and folk food tradition has long credited them with keeping the gut moving — which is why soaked dates appear at breakfast in so many households.
• In old European herbal practice, dates sat alongside figs, jujubes and raisins in the classic “chest herbal tea” (the four pectoral fruits), a sweet decoction reputed to soothe a scratchy, irritated throat.
• Naturopathy tends to point to the potassium, iron and magnesium in dates and treats them as a mineral-carrying whole food rather than a remedy.
• Ramadan tradition breaks the fast with dates and water — a habit valued for being gentle on an empty stomach.

How to use it

Eating them as they are

• Two to four dates make an ordinary snack portion — enough for the sweetness to register, small enough not to overwhelm a meal.
• Dried dates are often coated in sugar syrup so they stay moist in transit. Rinse them briefly under warm water and pat dry if you would rather not eat the coating.
• If they were packaged dry and hard, soak them in cool water for two to four hours, or in hot water for twenty minutes, until they plump up.
• Always check for and remove the stone before giving a date to a child.

Soaked dates, the breakfast habit

• Put three or four dried dates in a glass of water in the evening and leave them overnight.
• In the morning, eat the fruit and drink the soaking water; the liquid is faintly sweet and tastes of caramel.
• Traditionally done for a stretch of one or two weeks at a time rather than indefinitely.

Date paste, instead of a sugar jar

• Pit a generous handful of dates, cover with hot water for twenty minutes, then blend with a splash of the soaking liquid.
• You get a thick, spreadable paste for porridge, yoghurt, pancakes or baking.
• Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge and use within a week.

The “chest tea” decoction

• Take equal small amounts of dried dates, dried figs, jujubes and raisins — a couple of each per large mug.
• Simmer them gently in water for fifteen to twenty minutes, covered, then strain.
• Drink warm, one or two mugs in the evening, for a few days at a time. The taste is heavy, syrupy and fruity — no honey needed.

In cooking

• Dates love warm spices: fold them into anything already carrying cinnamon, cumin, ginger or cardamom.
• Baked with poultry, pork or lamb they give a salty-sweet depth, the backbone of a tagine.
• Stuff fresh dates with a cube of soft cheese or an almond for a five-second appetiser.
• Chop them into couscous, rice pilaf, granola or a cabbage-and-carrot salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: soak three or four dried dates in a glass of water overnight, then eat the fruit and drink the water at breakfast — the simplest traditional way to use them.

Are fresh dates better than dried ones?

They are different rather than better. Fresh dates hold more antioxidant compounds and are lighter, at around 120 kcal per 3.5 oz (100 g), while dried dates concentrate everything, including sugar, to roughly 280 kcal for the same weight. Dried dates travel and keep far better, which is why they became the classic pocket food.

How many dates is a normal portion?

Two to four dates is the usual everyday portion, and that is plenty given how sweet and dense they are. Eating a large handful at once often brings bloating or loose stools because of the fibre. Build up gradually and drink water alongside.

Should I rinse dried dates before eating them?

It is worth doing. Dried dates are frequently drenched in sugar syrup so they stay moist during transport, and a quick rinse under warm water takes most of it off. If instead they arrive dry and hard, soak them for a few hours in cool water to rehydrate them.

What is “chest herbal tea” and where do dates come in?

It is an old European preparation built on four dried fruits — dates, figs, jujubes and raisins — simmered together for fifteen to twenty minutes and strained. Traditionally it was drunk warm to soothe a scratchy, irritated throat. It is naturally very sweet, so no honey is needed.

Can I grow my own date palm and harvest dates?

You can grow the palm, but a container-grown specimen stays dwarf and will not fruit. It needs full sun, deep sandy well-drained humus-rich soil, and protection from temperatures below 40°F (5°C) as well as from extreme heat. Treat it as an ornamental and buy your dates.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.