David Karp on Dates

David Karp has written over 50 articles on fruit, food and travel for The New York Times, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure. He visited California's Coachella Valley, the country's main date-growing area, in early October 1997 to observe and photograph the date harvest for an article in Australian Gourmet Traveller. David recently spoke with Lynne about dates, a fruit at once both familiar and mysterious, and the following comes from their discussion:

Where do dates come from?

Dates are native to the oases of desert areas of the Mideast and North Africa. Date trees need fiery heat and lots of water around their roots, although crops are ruined by rainfall. In the United States, most of the nation's date gardens, as date orchards are called, are in California's Coachella Valley, located between Palm Springs and the Salton Sea, where temperatures far exceed 100 degrees in summer and fall, but the Colorado River provides plenty of irrigation water. Harvest runs from August to December and dates are at their finest in the months after harvest. Date trees reproduce from offshoots that grow from their bases and each tree produces only a dozen or so offshoots in its lifetime of 80 years or so.

What are the main varieties of dates?

In the Mideast dry dates, like the Thoory or bread date, are traditionally grown and eaten, often with yogurt or other milk products. In the United States, more than 85% of the dates grown are a semi-dry variety called the Deglet Noor. It's a pretty good variety, but the main reason for its dominance is that it was the variety most easily available in 1913 when pioneers brought date shoots from Algeria. Deglet Noors, like most dates, are harvested already dried on the tree. They store well and are usually rehydrated before being sold. They are often used for baking.

Only 10% of date production is of the Medjool variety, the best known of the soft dates. The Medjool is large - up to 3 inches long - and luscious. It's great for snacking and gift-giving. The Medjool was only introduced here from Morocco in the 1930s, and it takes a long time to propagate new trees, but most new date plantings are of this superior variety, which brings a premium price.

What is your favorite variety?

I like Medjools but, like many date growers themselves, my favorite is the Halawy, one of the half-dozen or so minor varieties accounting for the last 5% of the crop. They don't look special - they're medium to small and more wrinkled than most other dates - but the Halawy's light amber to golden flesh has a caramel-like texture and a rich, sweet, distinctive flavor. You rarely find them at mainstream markets but can purchase them by mail order.

What are the fresh yellow dates sometimes seen at markets in the fall and how does one eat them?

Unripe, green dates are said by the Arabs to be in the kimri stage. When they ripen and turn their distinctive color (yellow, red, black, or pink) dates are said to be in the khalal stage. Dates in this stage are full-size and sweet, but mostly are still too astringent to my taste and don't make good eating. In the Middle East, however, they're commonly sold this way. In the United States, khalal dates are sold mostly in Middle Eastern markets, and the Barhee variety is the only one sold here in this stage, usually still on the branch. If you let them sit and mature for a while - sometimes a week or more - they mature into the rutab stage when they turn color to light brown and become soft, moist, and very delicious, with a subtle caramel flavor. Regular dates, finally, are said to be in the tamar stage, when they're dark brown, fully cured, and more blistered in appearance.

What are your favorite mail-order sources?

Four Apostles' Ranch

80-700 Avenue 38

Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203

Phone: 760-345-6171

Brad Milliken

Four Apostles' Ranch grows Medjools that are so plump and luscious they're almost translucent, and much too delicate for commercial sales. They're also organic. Six pounds of the smaller size sell for $39, shipping included. This is about the same as retail prices in stores, but you'll never find dates like these in a regular store.

Ben and Pat Laflin's Oasis Date Gardens

Thermal, CA

Phone: 800-827-8017 or 760-399-1068

Oasis Date Gardens is the best place to visit and learn about dates in the Coachella Valley. The shop is right by the highway in Thermal, surrounded by date gardens. They grow high-quality dates and sell the rare, best varieties such as Halawy and Barhee by mail order. Barhees sell for $20 for two and one-half pounds, plus shipping. Halawys are $32 for 15 pounds, plus shipping.

Dates by DeVall

Santa Monica Farmers Market

Santa Monica, CA

Phone: 760-342-3406

If you want to taste dates in the supremely delicious, very soft rutob stage, try the Dates by DeVall stand at the Market on Saturdays in the autumn, just after harvest.