As the siren goes off, countless millions quickly and busily gulp a couple of dates or two, the first food of the whole day.
Our beloved Prophet recommended us to break the fast with dates. Indeed, dates have secured a very special place in the religion of Islam. In fact, dates are mentioned about twenty times in the Holy Qur'an.
Therefore, it is of no surprise that the demand for dates skyrockets during Ramadan. It is customary to start iftar by eating dates, just like our Prophet (S.A.W.) did.
But not just for that, the fact that this is a yummy fruit is by itself reason enough to munch some dates. “Khejur is the chocolate of Ramadan,” says an enthusiast. “When I was little, my dad bought me dates but told me they were chocolates so that I develop a liking for the fruit. Even now, I eat dates just the way I eat chocolates!”
Some are so into this fruit that they are not satisfied with just having them during iftar. “I have seheri with rice, milk and dates. If you can have banana this way, why not dates?” another lover of the sweet fruit opines.
And then of course, we all buy various kinds of dates for our loved ones when we go for Hajj. Saudi Arabia, after all, has the reputation of producing the world's finest dates.
But there are also logical reasons why we should include dates in our menu. Dates have a lot of health benefits. For starters, dates are energy boosters: they contain large amounts of carbohydrates, fructose, glucose and lactose. Thus, if someone eats a few dates after a long day of fasting, he/she is likely to quickly replenish the energy that has been lost.
Moreover, dates are rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, sulphur and phosphorus. They contain a range of vitamins as well.
Dates are also highly beneficial for pregnant women. It is believed that eating dates strengthens the uterine wall during pregnancy.
Cultivation of date palm trees has been going on since time immemorial. As a matter of fact, it is argued that these trees are one of the oldest ones to be cultivated. Another factor that hugely contributed to the need for cultivating date palm trees is that the entire plant and not just its fruits are used by mankind. Each and every portion of the tree, be it the leaves or the trunk or the flowers, are used by people for various functions.
Interestingly, date palm trees grow throughout their lifetime some even grow to about 100 feet tall! Eventually, with age, when the height is unbearable, they simply fall over.
But producers typically keep the palm trees to a certain height for their convenience.
In Bangladesh, of course, we do not have our own dates. The dates that are produced nevertheless are not very tasty or sometimes not even edible. But we too, like people all over, share a passion for this fruit.
And importers and retailers ensure our hunger is satisfied. “Our country mainly imports from Dubai, Iran, Tunisia, to some extent from Saudi Arabia, and in rare cases from Pakistan,” informs a shop owner in Karwan Bazaar.
To get hold of some quality dates, pay a visit to one of the superstores like Agora and Nandan. With Ramadan in focus, such shops have quite a good variety of dates in store for you.
Maryam dates are one of the most popular and widely available. A packet of these dates cost about Tk. 465. But if you want to buy one of those Maryam dates where the seeds are replaced by other edibles such as almonds or other nuts, it will cost you about Tk. 615.
This is indeed a fantastic innovation that reinforces the taste of dates and adds to their zest. In many countries, they have chocolate coated dates too. This is very rare in our country, unfortunately.
But we do have some delicacies here. Tunisian dates have gained immense popularity over the years. A pack of these sweet treats can cost you around Tk. 550.
These stores also feature some premium dates you might want to gift to someone.
Ajwa is another date immensely famous among Muslims due to its reference in the Hadith. However, this date is also very uncommon in Bangladesh. A shopkeeper in Gulshan-1 says, “Last year we didn't have this kind of dates. Rarely an importer brings in this particular breed.”
At the lower end of the market, you'll find dates with a price tag of about Tk. 55 per kg.
No matter what kind of dates you bought, few things can be more satisfying than putting a very sweet little fruit in your mouth after a daylong regime of fasting.
By Zane
