Celebrating the return of the date

Multi-National Forces-Iraq ^

[SandRat]

Watch video of the festival

Watch an interview with a date palm farmer

Farmers exhibited different varieties of dates at a date palm festival in Baqubah. Date palms are a vital crop in the heavily agricultural region. They are also a traditional staple in Iraqis' diet. Department of Defense photo.

Residents of Baqubah celebrated a local staple on Monday - a “date festival” placed the town’s focus on a banner harvest from the area’s date palm trees.

Situated alongside a river in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Baqubah has for centuries been a center of agriculture and commerce. Though rich in oranges, too, the area’s date palms make up a critical piece of the local livelihood. It is, however, a crop that has been suffering for years.

Under Saddam Hussein, agriculture often fell victim to lack of funding for irrigation and pesticide treatment. More damaging still, regime offensives would at times destroy the very land required to raise the crops.

Coalition efforts have sought to restore date production. Recent crop-spraying programs were the first in years. Reconstruction officials hope the revival of the industry might not only maintain a historic livelihood for farmers, but reinvigorate the local economy.

“My sons now are the ones now doing all the hard work,” one farmer joked. “They’re taking care of the palm trees, they’re cleaning the crops ... so they’re the actual farmers.”

Beyond the potential economic boost, the resurrection of the date palm industry keeps alive an important historical element of Iraqi culture. Dates have been raised for thousands of years in Iraq; over 140 types are grown. In the upcoming celebration of Ramadan, Iraqi Muslims traditionally break their daily fast with dates.

While progress is gradual, the steps taken so far to bring the date palm industry back online are crucial to the economic revitalization of areas like Baqubah. And with economic stability comes security. For farmers and exhibitors on Monday, that was a reason to celebrate.

In related news:

• Iraq’s biggest cash crop needs boost

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

[Shimmer128]

They've always reminded me of giant cockroaches.

[JRandomFreeper]

Except they taste really, really good. But other than that, yeah, they aren't pretty.

/johnny

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Dates, figs, prunes - all part of the fruit-too-gross-to-eat family.

[SandRat]

you know what they say.... Eat a Prune! Start a Movement!

[Fiji Hill]

In the early 1970's, if you read the fine print on a package of Dromedary dates--I think they were marketed by Kraft--you would notice that they were "grown in Iraq." They were tasty, but couldn't hold a candle to the Medjhool and Barhi dates from Southern California's Coachella and Bard Valleys.

[carlo3b]

Oatmeal Date Squares

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups sifted *pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 3/4 pound pitted dates, coarsely diced
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, (or substitute almond extract to taste)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) In a large bowl, combine oats, pastry flour, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix in the butter until crumbly.
Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan.
3) In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
4) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.
Yield: 1 -9x9 inch pan.
*Pastry flour (also called cookie flour or cracker flour) has slightly higher gluten content than cake flour, but lower than all-purpose flour.

[Shimmer128]

bursting out laughing

[Shimmer128]

They were tasty, but couldn't hold a candle to the Medjhool and Barhi dates from Southern California's Coachella and Bard Valleys.

Even today, the CA ones are better? I might try them. If I can eat them without looking at the things.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"Medjhool"

Awesome dates.

[Fiji Hill]

I might try them. If I can eat them without looking at the things.

Why not drink them in a milk shake? Hadley's Fruit Stand in Cabezon, Calif. is famous for its date shakes.

[Shimmer128]

Because there would be pieces of date (cockroach) floating around in my shake.

How about if i just agree that we're sure they are wonderful and talk about something, anything else? :D

[Fiji Hill]

So you don't want to talk about dates? How about artichokes? Among the items on the menu at the Giant Artichoke restaurant in Castroville, Calif. are artichoke ice cream and milk shakes.