The date is the fruit of the date palm, typical of arid climates. Probably native to North Africa or Arabia, it began to be cultivated around 3000 BC. in the area currently occupied by Iraq. The antiquity of its consumption dates back to the origins of our civilization.
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The date is the fruit of the palm tree, typical of arid climates. Probably native to North Africa or Arabia, it began to be cultivated around 3000 BC. in the area currently occupied by Iraq. The antiquity of its consumption dates back to the origins of our civilization. The palm tree was introduced to the Americas by early Spanish missionaries, who planted dates around many of their missions.
Asian and African countries, mainly Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq and neighboring countries, produce 98% of the world total of dates. The highest productivity per hectare occurs in countries that have a greater water supply (Egypt) or use better technology (Bahrain and the United States). Israel is also in the latter case, but it does not appear among the twenty largest producers due to its small cultivation area.
Dates can be classified into three large groups according to their water content: soft or soft, dry and semi-dry (the most consumed in its natural state). In total, there are more than 200 different varieties. Israel is the country that has dedicated the most efforts to the identification and purification of varieties, in addition to their commercial promotion, launching varieties suitable for fresh consumption on the market. Its plantations are spread throughout the Jordan River Valley, in the Beit Shean Valley and in the Arava desert.