If the Medjool date is called the King of dates, then the Deglet Nour date would be the "Queen of dates". Beside the many benefits of dates, this Tunisian gem has a slender and elegant shape with a rather translucent texture and honey-like taste.
The Deglet Nour date tree starts to mature and produce fruits after roughly 5 years. The production cycle of the Deglet Nour takes between 8 and 10 months, from the flowering stage to harvesting. Between March and April, the date fruits are usually green in colour and round in shape. By summer, the dates begin to grow to their optimal size and turn yellow in colour with a smooth skin. Deglet Nour usually begins to mature and ripen in autumn, after exposure to the summer heat.
The harvesting period usually starts from middle of September until December. Due to its delicate texture, these mature dates can only be kept for a few days. Hence, here at All Kurma, we always advise our customers to keep the Deglet Nour refrigerated to prolong its shelf life.
While some prefer fresh Deglet Nour, a lot of consumers like them preserved with glucose syrup to preserve it longer for a more practical, weather-proof and economical ways to last through Ramadhan.
Pic: globosapiens
Here are some interesting facts about our Deglet Nour of Tunisia!
- Deglet Nour is Arabic: دقلة نور which means ‘translucent' or ‘date of light'.
- Tunisia is the northernmost point in the African continent, with Tunis as its capital and the largest city.
- Date plantation in Tunisia makes up to 75% of its agricultural activities.
- Did you know that Tunisia is the largest exporter of Deglet Nour dates, with about 48% of world market share? Most of the dates are planted in the region of Kebili and Djerid, in southern Tunisia, bordering Algeria. It is followed by Algeria with only 20%.
- With 98% of the population made up of Berber-Arabic, the official language is Arabic. Having received its independence from France on 20 March 1956, French is widely spoken among the Tunisian population, with signages at shops written in both Arabic and French.
- Tunisia is the home of 8 UNESCO Heritage World Sites, including the Amphitheatre of El Jem (built around 238 AD), the Medina of Tunis and the Bardo National Museum (the second largest in the African continent after the Egyptian Museum).
- Since 2007, the top 3 markets for Tunisian dates include the United States of America, the Russian Federation and yes, MALAYSIA!
Now that you've gotten your dose of upDates! till our next date, Eat Fresh and Stay Well, only from All Kurma.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deglet_Nour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia
https://www.fruitrop.com/en/Articles-by-subject/Full-country-profile/2016/Tunisian-dates
https://www.color-foods.com/our-expertise/the-dates-sector/?lang=en
http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-tunisia/
