Tasty dates exotic

I’VE just read a fascinating article about dates, so much so that it has whetted my appetite in every sense of the word to make a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in search of the very best dates.

Apparently date connoisseurs throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East consider the Khalasah to be the quintessential date against which all others are judged. Known as Khlas in Saudi Arabia, the name loosely translates as quintessential in Arabic. Its home is in the kingdom’s eastern province, more specifically Hofuf the main city of the Al Hasa oasis.

The very best growers, roughly 100 in number, come from Al Mutairfi village and are considered to be the undisputed masters. The harvest starts in May and goes right through to October. I adore dates, the first I tasted came in the elongated timber box lined with a scalloped doyley edging. The shiny sticky dates covered with a disc of cellophane tasted strange, but deliciously exotic to a six-year-old. My father had brought them home as a present for Mummy after one of his rare trips to Dublin - we all crowded around and were offered one to taste.