Where did the name “date” come from?
Let’s go on a first date… with JOOLIES! We’d like for you to get to know dates and fall head-over-heels in love with them, just like we have. We promise this won’t be as awkward or nerve-wracking as your last unfortunate match on Bumble… Swipe right on Joolies’ medjools and you’ll end up deleting the app after your first bite.
In all seriousness, we’ve got a list of fun facts to share with you about this endlessly interesting California Superfruit. Some things you might’ve heard before, but others might surprise you. Let’s dive right in!
So… where are dates from?
The exact place of origin for dates, or the date palm, is not entirely certain. However, experts assume it was initially cultivated in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They trace back to as early as 5,000 to 6,000 BC and have played a major part in Middle Eastern and Northern African cuisine and an important aspect in many of the cultures and religions of the region.
Fun fact #1: Dates are considered the oldest cultivated fruit in the world with fossils suggesting that they were around 50 million years ago.
Fun fact #2: In Morocco, the medjool date was referred to as the “king of dates”. This was because it was reserved only for Moroccan royalty and their guests. They were considered the more expensive variety of date due to the labor intensivity of growing and harvesting them.
Fun fact #3: The date palm was actually a popular garden plant in Roman peristyle gardens due to its tropical aesthetic. They weren’t able to harvest the fruit to eat it because of the temperate weather in Italy, so they were planted more for looks and as a symbol of victory.
Where are dates grown today?
Today, dates of all varieties can be found only in tropical and subtropical regions across the world, including Canary Islands, northern Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, and in southern California, Arizona and southern Florida in the United States. Read more
