Combine your trip to the date market with a visit to the nearby gold souk.
The history of the date is in many ways the history of Arabia itself. The fruit is mentioned 20 times in the Quran, and over 50 times in the Bible, and is traditionally the first foodstuff consumed after sundown during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. These small, sticky morsels, which once provided the main source of sustenance to camel-driven trade caravans voyaging across entire deserts, are now grown as far afield as the United States and Mexico.
The First Date
Located in the little meander of Dubai Creek, near Port Rashid, you can find the date market within the spice souk, which itself is adjacent to the famous gold souk. Move past the spices and you’ll eventually see – or even smell – the great sticky mounds of dates, arranged on great platters according to size. It’s easy to assume, judging by the extremely limited range available in the West, that all dates taste the same, but sample a few tasters and the date market is guaranteed to change your mind. Most have delightfully soft, melt-in-the-mouth flesh, which instantly fills your mouth with sweetness, but there are also firmer and more savoury varieties.
Getting on the Date Scene
The generic Arabic word for dates is tomoor, but the sellers here will gladly explain to you the differences between sagai and sukkary, and wax lyrical on the distinction between the mabroom and the safawi. In fact, the sheer number of different varieties on offer here can be rather overwhelming. Sometimes the best strategy is simply to take a mixed bag of a kilo – it’s more than enough to indulge the sweetest of sweet tooths for the day, and it’s great value.
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