Dates Galore!

I finally noticed a stand at the farmers' market today that was selling figs by the pound instead of by the box. I don't need forty dates, but seeing the little nuggets of pure sugar always makes me want a few.

I couldn't decide what I wanted, so bought two of each kind and a small twig of unripe Barhis dates. Aren't they cute? Barhis dates are the only ones that can be eaten before they're ripe. They're crunchy and sort of have the sweetness of an apple with the crispiness of hard coconut meat. The lady let me try a ripe one as well. Ripe Barhis dates are extraordinarily soft, smooth, and sweet (yes, even more so than other dates) with a very thin skin. I didn't buy any because they're very expensive, but they are a little larger and lighter colored than the date on the far left.

Of course, I forgot my pen and paper today. Does anyone know which date is which? She actually had about ten kinds; the ones I chose were more sweet and moist. The ones on the other table were drier and eaten more for texture and date flavor.