date

A date is the fruit of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera. Dates have been cultivated for millennia in the Middle East and North Africa and are now grown in many arid regions around the world. The fruit is oblong and about 2 to 3 centimeters long, with a soft, sweet flesh and a hard seed. When dried, dates become chewy and highly sweet, making them a staple in many cuisines.

Date palms are dioecious, with separate male and female trees. Female plants bear fruit only after pollination, which is often done manually in commercial production. They require hot, arid climates and well-drained soils. Harvest typically occurs in late summer to autumn. Popular varieties include Deglet Noor, Medjool, Zahidi, and Barhee, each with distinct sweetness, texture, and color.

Nutritionally, dates are energy-dense and high in sugars, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. They are eaten fresh or dried and used in baking, desserts, and as a natural sweetener. Processing methods include pitting, chopping, stuffing with nuts, and producing date sugar or date syrup.

Dates have significant historical and cultural roles in the regions where they are grown. They are associated with hospitality and oasis life and have featured in trade and cuisine for centuries. The term date also denotes a specific day on a calendar, and modern standards such as ISO 8601 promote clear date formats (for example, YYYY-MM-DD) to avoid ambiguity.