Fruit
Date
Dates are the sweet fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), eaten fresh (rutab) when soft and syrupy or dried (tamar) when firm, chewy, and shelf-stable. Flavour runs caramel, honey, and toffee with cultivar differences—Medjool is large and soft, Deglet Noor firmer and drier, Barhi buttery when fresh. A single elongated pit runs through the centre. Staple of Middle Eastern, North African, and desert oasis diets for millennia, they sweeten pastes, stuff with nuts or cheese, bind energy bars, and appear at Iftar tables. Soft dates mash into purees for baking without refined sugar; firmer types chop cleanly into salads and stews. Store cool and dry; refrigerate soft Medjools to slow fermentation and sugar bloom is harmless.
Track this ingredient
Cuts & parts
Breeds & varieties
A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles.
Characteristics
Preparations
Provenance
Sources
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 0.28 g
- Saturated Fat 0.05 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.09 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 4.87 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Total Carbohydrate 13.6 g
- Dietary Fibre 1.86 g
- Total Sugars 10 g
- Complex / starch 1.03 g
- Protein 0.78 g
- Water 85.7 g
- Energy 57.1 kcal
- Water 85.7 g
- Carbohydrates 13.6 g
- Sugars 10 g
- Monosaccharides 7 g
- Disaccharides 3 g
- Starch 1.03 g
- Amylose 0.26 g
- Amylopectin 0.77 g
- Digestible Starch 0.88 g
- Resistant Starch 0.1 g
- Fibre 1.86 g
- Soluble Fibre 0.65 g
- Insoluble Fibre 1.21 g
- Protein 0.78 g
- Plant Protein 0.74 g
- Fat 0.28 g
- Saturated Fat 0.05 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.09 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
- Vitamins 71.5 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.03 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.04 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 0.43 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.21 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.08 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 1 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 15.4 µg
- Vitamin C 29 mg
- Vitamin E 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K 5 µg
- Minerals 319 mg
- Major Minerals 313 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.3 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.01 g
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 29 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.03 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.04 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 0.43 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.21 · vitamin-b6: 0.08 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 1 · vitamin-b9-folate: 15.4 · vitamin-e: 0.3 · vitamin-k: 5 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 4.87 · Potassium: 264 · Calcium: 44 · Iron: 0.9 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Fruit energy is mostly natural sugars with fibre and vitamin C varying by species.
History
Date was used as a fruit food in regional diets long before industrial packing and global year-round supply.
Trade, migration, and selection spread distinctive Date types and preparations into new climates and cuisines.
Modern production, storage, and transport made Date a regular purchase far from where it is grown or raised.
Cooks now treat Date as both staple and specialty, with more attention to provenance, variety, and form.