Introduction
The date is known only by many as a real caloric bomb; few are aware of the very numerous therapeutic properties of this fruit of Phoenix Dactylifera, so extraordinary and prodigious as they are unknown and ignored. In this article we will give a general - but at the same time thorough - description of the date plant and, subsequently, we will describe the fruits in terms of nutritional values and therapeutic indications.
Generality
Dattero is the name commonly attributed to the fruit of the Phoenix Dactylifera palm (fam. Arecaceae): it is a long-limbed and imposing tree, which reaches elevated heights even touching 20 or 30 meters. Typical fruit of northern Africa and western Asia up to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the date is characteristic of countries with a warm climate: in fact, it is currently cultivated in the Mediterranean areas, in Arabia, in the Persian Gulf, in the Canaries and in America South.
It is surprising how long and productive the date palm is: some species begin to produce fruit after three years and can live up to three centuries; under certain conditions - particularly during the full maturity of the plant (around 30 years) - date palms can produce over 50 kilos of fruit annually.
Botanical description
The date palm develops rapidly: the powerful roots dig into the soil supporting the body of the plant and seeking nourishment in the deeper layers of the soil.
The trunk of the date palm, rough and wrinkled, is covered by scales, remnants of the peduncles of old leaves. The leaves, greenish rigid fronds also three meters long, constitute a sort of crown on the top of the tree, typical characteristic of the palms. The flowers, grouped in panicles, are small and yellow, while the dates are sweet fruits containing a woody seed. [from A. Bruni's Dictionary of herbal medicine and phytotherapy ]
Description of the fruit
As we have seen, the fruits of Phoenix Dactylifera are the dates: they are fleshy ovate berries at the ends, with a very sweet and pleasant taste. The name "date" comes from the Greek daktilos, which means finger .
The dates have an oblong shape of brownish-brown color; inside, they contain a single woody seed, hard and pointed; they are wrapped in a thin and fragile film. The dates, in the spikes, gather in dense clusters of 200 or even 1, 000 fruits each.
There are two types of dates, with hard or soft flesh: the former are particularly renowned from the Arab countries, therefore more cultivated and marketed. The dates with soft dough, more fleshy, are particularly appreciated in European and American countries.
Most dates are subjected to a drying process, in order to increase the sugar concentration and prolong their storage times. However, some varieties of dates (remember: Berhi and Hiann) turn out to be suitable to be eaten fresh. The dates of Israel are certainly the most valuable, fleshy and thick.
Nutritional properties
Given the high energy power, the consumption of dates is not recommended for those who follow a low calorie diet, while it can be recommended during energy diets, in particular in case of physical debilitation and fatigue: dry dates provide, in fact, about 253 calories per 100 grams. They consist of 50-70% of sugars (carbohydrates), 20-30% of water, 2.7% of proteins and 0.60% of fats. Given the low protein content, dates are also suitable for hypoprotein diets.
Furthermore, the fruit pulp is a source of magnesium: the date palm - in particular in the Saharan areas - grows in hostile, sandy soils rich in magnesium salts. In this regard, the date, which like a sponge absorbs the minerals of the soil, represents a mine of this important mineral (it contains approximately 50-60 mg of magnesium per 100 g of product).
However, magnesium is not the only mineral contained in the date; we also remember iron, potassium, copper, zinc, calcium, manganese and phosphorus.
Use in the kitchen
Clearly, dates can be enjoyed "naturally", taking care to take the pointed seed before eating the fruit; in the culinary field, dates go perfectly with cheese and mascarpone, or with dried fruit such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Again, dates are also used to decorate desserts.
Stuffed Dates - Delicious Christmas appetizer
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeMeatier dates, those with soft flesh, are sometimes used to prepare honey (or, better, syrups). The date "honey", an excellent substitute for sugar and butter in the kitchen, is obtained by simply blending the ripe dates (soft ones are recommended), possibly adding very little water to favor the dough.
On the other hand, hard paste dates may undergo drying processes and subsequently be reduced to flour. Date flour is generally mixed with barley flour, in order to prepare the famous date bread, a specialty of the Arab countries.
The so-called date wine is obtained instead from the fermentation of the homonymous fruits, left to macerate in water: specifically, it is arrak, a fortified wine similar to brandy, very common in Sri Lanka and India.
Date kernels, after roasting, are sometimes used as a coffee substitute.
From the trunk of the mighty palm tree, a sort of milky solution is obtained, with an original and sweet taste: when left to ferment, this milk turns into the so-called laghbì, or laghbì, a very special euphoric and intoxicating drink [taken from Dizionario ragionato of herbal medicine and phytotherapy, by A. Bruni]
Use in phytotherapy
As mentioned in the beginning of the article, the date has a great deal of therapeutic potential, for many unknown.
It is said that the date is among the four pectoral fruits (together with jujube, grapes and figs): used in decoction, in fact, the dates are useful in case of sore throat. In addition, the decoction of dates is also useful for lightening inflammatory symptoms affecting the intestine. Furthermore, in the case of bronchitis, the date decoction boasts powerful anticatarrale and emollient activities.
As we have analyzed, the date is a source of iron and magnesium: in this regard, the fruit appears, respectively, as an aid against anemia, and as a stimulant tonic for nervous and muscular activity. For the multiple mineral salts, the consumption of dates is also used as a natural mineralizer. [from Curarsi with fruit and vegetables, by AM Mauri]
Other uses
Date palms are also used in the homeopathic field: it seems, in fact, that the mother tincture obtained from the bark of the branches of Phoenix dactylifera is able to bring relief in case of menstrual pain.
Date palms are also used in the building sector: the massive and massive trunk is used for the construction of small buildings.
Some species of date palms are also used for ornamental purposes.
Dates in brief, summary on dates »
