DATES, MEDJOOL (W/PITS) (F21)

The oldest cultivated fruit in the world, dates are thought to be indigenous to Northern African and the Arabic Peninsula. The fossil record show evidence of dates being consumed as far apart as ancient Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The fruit of the date palm, which favors hot, dry climates, dates grow and ripen in clusters that look like fingers hanging from the tree's upper reaches. Dates grow in the Middle East and North Africa, the Mediterranean region as well as in parts of the United States including southern California, Arizona and southern Florida, and Baja and Sonora, Mexico. For centuries, only royalty and honored guests indulged in the luxurious sweetness and creamy flesh of Medjool Dates. Additionally, the Medjool Date has cultural and religious significance in the Muslim world, as it is traditionally the first food consumed, along with milk or yogurt, as part of the evening break-fast meal during the month of Ramadan.