Dates: Zahedi, Mabroom, and the rest
Not all dried dates are the same fruit in different packaging. Zahedi dates are drier and firmer, light golden-brown, with a mild sweetness, which is why they store well and travel well, useful for a supplier moving stock in bulk. Mabroom dates are longer, darker, chewier, almost caramel in taste. Medjool sits at the soft, syrupy end of the scale. The differences come down to variety, harvest stage, and how much moisture is left in after drying.
What's actually in a date
Dates carry natural sugar, mostly fructose and glucose, along with potassium and dietary fibre. A date is calorie-dense for its size, which is exactly why traders price them by grade rather than treat them as an afterthought snack. Fibre is the main practical benefit: it adds bulk to a meal, one reason dates are a common fast-breaking food across the region.
Other dry fruits worth knowing
Dried apricots bring a tartness dates don't have, and a deep orange colour from natural carotenoids. Raisins are smaller, sweeter per bite, and cheaper to produce at volume. Dried figs sit closer to dates in texture, soft and slightly grainy, with visible seeds. Each has its own storage needs; apricots in particular go leathery fast if left unsealed.
Buying and storing
Packaged dates usually ship with ventilation holes in the bag. Poke your own if the packaging you receive doesn't have any, or the fruit sweats and sticks together. For bulk buyers, an airtight container with occasional airing works better than leaving the bag open, which lets fridge odours in. Dates freeze well too, sealed in a bag they keep for months longer than at room temperature.
Browse our current dates range or read more about us as a supplier.