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Llewellyn Flores
Doha
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has organised Seasonal Dates Market, the largest display and sale of dates in the country, which will run until March 15 at Souq Waqif. The market, housed in a large U-shaped tent, has 85 local and foreign businesses selling their ware. The varieties come from Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria and, of course, Qatar.
There are people who would immediately be curious about what Seasonal Dates Market has to offer. For those whose interest is not piqued, you might want to consider these five reasons why you should visit:
Know more about dates
According to a 2015 National Geographic article on dates, there are over 3,000 varieties of the fruit. However, we only see a fraction of that in markets classified according to the popular cultivars. Some varieties at the Seasonal Dates Market are the Deglet Nour from Tunisia and Algeria, Medjool dates from Palestine and Jordan and Fardh from Oman. The Deglet Nour, referred to as 'queen of dates', is light and translucent. It has a firm flesh, not so sweet and not very sticky. The Medjool, on the other hand, is dark, moist and known for its sweetness.
There are three basic categories of dates too, the vendors point out, as they solicit customers soft, semi-soft (or hard) and dry. The dry date has naturally lower moisture than other dates (not due to artificial desiccation). The dates also come in different sizes regular, small, large or jumbo and super jumbo and the vendors will also point that out. A large date can be the size of two lady's thumbs.
Some vendors will also offer their 'golden dates' yet hand you a box of dark dates. They'll raise one against the light, and that's when you'll see that the date does have a golden sheen.
Acquire a new liking
With such a large variety of dates under one roof, a tour of the market opens doors to new flavours and textures. You might discover that your favourite date is not really the best in the market as you once thought. You will also find date products date syrup, date paste, pitted dates fused with fruits and nuts and candied dates. One Qatari brand, Othough, sells delicious date sweets. One, with coffee flavour, was delightful, as was the one with cream. A 500-gram box of assorted Othough date sweets starts at QR100. Most vendors offer free tasting of their products, and some even offer karak, complimentary, for a complete date-tasting experience.
See or buy some artworks
A number of artists are stationed inside the Seasonal Dates Market tent painting different genres with a common theme dates. Nasoud al Dulushi was painting a landscape a dirt road in Umm Bab one afternoon at the market. The road had date trees all around. He said,"Date trees can grow anywhere, but we still need people to take care of them. I want to show what people can see in the desert of Qatar. Dates are not just in farms." Beside him, Tariq was painting a still life of dates. Some of the painters used acrylic, others oil and water-colour.
Simply enjoy the festive feel
There is a hint of joy seeing so many different types of dates and hearing the enthusiastic vendors call out to visitors. Some of them are convinced that theirs is"the best date," offering reasons, such as their dates"contain healthy sugar" and"great for the health." Trying out different dates and date products is also a lot of fun. Outside the tent, there is a pavilion with seating all around. With kiosks selling different kinds of date products mostly sweets and drinks from tea to cold beverages, you can sample products and enjoy the date ambiance with other visitors right there.
Finally, the price
The price of the same package of dates at the Seasonal Dates Market is much lower than in the markets outside. A box of assorted dates with eight kinds from Bateel, for example, that sells for QR750 at their store sells at the seasonal market for QR450. Prices depend on the variety and size but a half kilo of plain dates sell from QR15 and some vendors still offer discounts.
If you have lived in Qatar, chances are you are more familiar with dates and may already be accustomed to eating them. But there is still more to discover and it will not be a bad thing to know more about the fruit that has been a staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years. In this respect, a visit to the Seasonal Dates Market can help.
(Cover photo: Jalal Pathiyoor)
