Dates Dates are the sweet, easily dried fruits of a desert palm, Phoenix dactylifera, that can tolerate some cold and thrives as long as it has a source of water Their original home was Middle Eastern and African oases, where they were being cultivated with artificial irrigation and pollination more than 5,000 years ago; they’re now also grown in Asia and California Though we usually see only two or three dried versions, there are thousands of different date varieties that differ in size, shape, color, flavor, and ripening schedule Growers and aficionados distinguish four stages in date development: green and immature; mature but unripe, when they’re yellow or red and hard, crunchy, and astringent; ripe (Arabic rhutab), when they’re soft, golden brown, and delicate; and finally dried, when they’re brown and wrinkled and powerfully sweet Drying is usually done on the tree Dates are moist and succulent when fresh, from 50 to 90% water, and chewy and concentrated when dry, with less than 20% moisture Dry dates are 60 to 80% sugar, together with some texture-providing pectins and other cell-wall materials, and a few percent fatty materials, including the surface wax They’re ground into a coarse powder to make “date sugar.” The drying process causes dates to develop a brown color and browned flavor thanks both to the action of browning enzymes on phenolic materials, and to the browning reactions between concentrated sugars and amino acids Some varieties rich in phenolic materials, notably the Deglet Noor, can develop an increased astringency and red coloration when heated Phenolic and other compounds give dates notable antioxidant and antimutagenic activities Fig Figs are the fruits of Ficus carica, a tree native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, and a relative of the mulberry Because like ... develop an increased astringency and red coloration when heated Phenolic and other compounds give dates notable antioxidant and antimutagenic activities Fig Figs are the fruits of Ficus carica, a tree native to the Mediterranean and Middle East,... to the action of browning enzymes on phenolic materials, and to the browning reactions between concentrated sugars and amino acids Some varieties rich in phenolic materials, notably the Deglet Noor, can develop an increased astringency and red... percent fatty materials, including the surface wax They’re ground into a coarse powder to make “date sugar.” The drying process causes dates to develop a brown color and browned flavor thanks both to the action of browning enzymes on