Possibly the most iconic Middle Eastern sweet, dates – favoured for their natural, sticky sweetness – are eaten daily by many across the Middle East, either on their own as an accompaniment to bitter Arabic coffee, or as a key ingredient in popular sweets and desserts.
In the west, dates – and particularly large, sticky medjool dates – are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the health and wellness industry as a natural alternative to processed sugars, and have become a go-to ingredient for likes of Deliciously Ella and her clean-eating friends.
In the Middle East, dates are still commonly eaten to break the fast during Ramadan and can be found in various sweets such as Halwa (a thick, sticky, date-based traditional dessert in the Gulf), Maamoul cookies (a favourite for Eid), and even in breads like Maarouk – a Brioche bread from Aleppo, Syria.
