Date Varieties
Dates Guide: What Dates Are, Nutrition, Types and Common Questions
A reference guide to dates – what they are, how they ripen, what they contain, and where to go for deeper answers on varieties, portions and specific questions.
Dates are the fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), grown for more than 5,000 years in the Middle East and North Africa. Ripe dates are 72 to 88% sugar by dry matter. The NHS counts 30 g of dried fruit, including dates, as one portion of 5 A Day.
1.What Dates Are
The date is a berry, up to 7 cm long, made of skin, pulp, an inner layer and a seed. The palm takes about five years to bear fruit and reaches maximum yield after 30 to 40 years. About 90% of date palms are grown in the Middle East and North Africa, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria and Iraq among the main producers.
2.Ripening Stages
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Hababouk | Round, cream to light green; slow growth |
| Kimri | Green, unripe, high in tannins |
| Khalal | Full-size, red-yellow, crisp, tart |
| Rutab | Semi-ripe, juicy, darker, begins to soften |
| Tamar | Fully ripe, soft, low moisture, high sugar |
Dates are edible from Khalal onward, and export dates are mainly fully ripe Tamar.
3.Nutrition
USDA reference for Medjool dates, per 100 g: 277 kcal, 75 g carbohydrate, 66.5 g sugars, 6.7 g fibre. One pitted date of about 24 g gives roughly 66 kcal.
Other varieties differ in composition from Medjool, and for most there is no USDA entry available. Treat the Medjool figures above as a reference point only, not as the value for every date variety.
4.Portions
A 30 g portion of dried fruit, about three dates according to the British Heart Foundation, counts as one of your 5 A Day, best eaten with meals. See how many dates to eat for a fuller breakdown.
5.Types of Dates
Dates are commonly grouped by softness and by sugar type, and estimates of how many distinct varieties exist vary widely by source.
6.Ajwa Dates
Ajwa is the Madinah variety named in hadith, with its own dedicated guides on origin, religious context and how it compares with other popular varieties.
7.Common Questions
Are dates healthy?
They provide fibre and potassium and are also concentrated in sugar and energy. Portion and overall diet matter; see weight loss and diabetes for a fuller look at the trade-offs.
Can you eat dates with milk?
See dates with milk for what’s known about this combination.
Do dates contain caffeine?
See do dates have caffeine? for a direct answer.
What are dates called in Arabic?
See dates in Arabic for terms and spellings.
Which dates are best for different uses?
See best dates for different uses for a purpose-by-purpose guide.
Sources
- Świąder K, Białek K, Isleten Hosoglu M. “Varieties of date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.).” Postępy Techniki Przetwórstwa Spożywczego 1/2020:173-179.
- USDA FoodData Central, Dates, medjool (FDC ID 168191).
- NHS, “5 A Day: what counts?”
- British Heart Foundation, “What counts as 5 a day.”