Saturday, Jul 22, 2017

Abu Dhabi: As the food market evolves and adapts to changing customer tastes, so do dates, with the date fruit these days being used in a variety of ways including in cakes, ice cream, and even a new form of pickle called the pickle date.

Many of these new products and dishes are on show at the ongoing Liwa Date Festival.

Well-known and popular dates such as the dabbas, the khallas, or the kunaizi have been traditionally eaten alone, with each date having their own distinct taste. The trend is changing, however, as the traditional way of eating dates is evolving to mixing different types of dates with other foods, giving a different and new type of flavour.

“The change in consumer taste has really been like a 360-degree turn. Dates have gone from being eaten alone to now being used in a variety of different food products,” said Raed Mohammad, factory manager at Al Maqtaa Dates, who was running a stall at the Liwa Date Festival.

“Dates can now be found being mixed in cakes, biscuits and ice cream. It is like a different world now with many different styles,” he added.

“The world of food and beverage is always changing and so you have to add new tastes. People’s demands are changing, they want to explore new things and new tastes,” he said.

Mohammad said that among the new types of dates that are now being produced is the date pickle.

“The date pickle is made from original dates before they become ripe. We add vinegar to these dates, and after that we wait for around 15 days. Once this process is complete, we add olive oil and lemon slices, and from there it becomes ready to eat, and becomes what we call a date pickle,” Mohammad explained.

“We also have another date with which we add some spices, and so you can mix it and eat it with the traditional food,” he added.

Mohammad says that such new flavours and date products are highly appealing to customers, with a rising demand for them.

“There is a lot of demand, and that’s why we are making these different types of date flavours. The demand is especially high from the younger generation, they want something new and different,” he said.

“For young schoolchildren, it is also more appealing. Many young children might not be so inclined to eat a traditional type of date in the morning, but when these dates are mixed with other foods, the young child will be more inclined to eat such foods and they will be able to get the nutritional benefits from the dates,” he added.

The Liwa Date Festival is running until July 29 in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi emirate. Now in its 13th year, the festival is a celebration of the popular and cultural Emirati fruit.

Liwa Date Festival

Where: Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi

When: July 19 to July 29

Timing: 4pm-10pm daily

Admission: Free

By Sami Zaatari Staff Reporter

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