Dates are dry soft fruits with a sweet and delicious taste, which come from the date palm trees that grow in the desert.
Date palm is among the most ancient fruit trees that have been grown in the Middle East and the Indus valley for thousands of years. It was considered as the staple food of people living in those areas many years ago.
Dates are of endless varieties. It can be classified as soft, semi-soft and dry dates. Like other fruit, dates are seasonal products and therefore the supply of fresh dates is always limited. Dates can also be used as ‘survival food’ on long trips or on hiking as it contains lots of nutrients, which boost the energy level, and it is easy to carry and ready to eat.
The tamarind is a long-lived, medium-growth, bushy tree, which attains a maximum crown height of 12 to 18 metres (40 to 60 feet). The crown has an irregular, vase-shaped outline of dense foliage. The tree grows well in full sun in clay, loam, sandy, and acidic soil types,
with a high drought and aerosol salt (wind-borne salt as found in coastal areas) resistance.
Leaves are evergreen, bright green in color, elliptical ovular, arrangement is alternate, of the pinnately compound type,
with pinnate venation and less than 5 cm (2 inches) in length. The branches droop from a single, central trunk as the tree matures and is often pruned in human agriculture to optimize tree density and ease of fruit harvest. At night, the leaflets close up.[citation needed]
The tamarind does flower, though inconspicuously, with red and yellow elongated flowers.
Flowers are 2.5 cm wide (one inch), five-petalled, borne in small racemes, and yellow with orange or red streaks.
Buds are pink as the four sepals are pink and are lost when the flower blooms.
The fruit is an indehiscent legume, sometimes called a pod, 12 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length, with a hard, brown shell.
The tamarind does flower, though inconspicuously, with red and yellow elongated flowers.
Flowers are 2.5 cm wide (one inch), five-petalled, borne in small racemes, and yellow with orange or red streaks.
Buds are pink as the four sepals are pink and are lost when the flower blooms.
The fruit is an indehiscent legume, sometimes called a pod, 12 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length, with a hard, brown shell.
The fruit has a fleshy, juicy, acidulous pulp. It is mature when the flesh is coloured brown or reddish-brown.
The tamarinds of Asia have longer pods containing six to 12 seeds, whereas African and West Indian varieties have short pods containing one to six seeds. The seeds are somewhat flattened, and glossy brown.[citation needed]
The tamarind is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and is high in tartaric acid,
sugar, B vitamins and, oddly for a fruit, calcium.
As a tropical species, it is frost sensitive. The pinnate leaves with opposite leaflets give a billowing effect in the wind.
Tamarind timber consists of hard, dark red heartwood and softer, yellowish sapwood.
Date fruits contain lots of nutrient such as vitamins and minerals for normal growth, health and well-being.
Diet Balancing: Dates are rich in dietary fiber that free us from cholesterol and contain very low fat that result in weight loss. It also helps in keeping weight at a normal and balanced level for diet conscious people.
Prevent Digestive Problems: Fresh dates are soft and easily digestible. It helps improve your digestive system as it contains soluble and insoluble fibers and different types of amino acids.
Keeps your Heart Healthy: Dates have high source of potassium and low level of sodium that keep your nervous system and heart healthy.
Prevent Anemia: The high iron content in the fruit is beneficial for those suffering from anemia and boosts the amount of iron in their blood.
Reduce Constipation: Dates are a healthy laxative food item that can prevent chronic constipation. Soaking dates overnight in water and having it with water reduces constipation.
Relief from Intoxication: Dates are commonly used as a remedy to cure alcoholic intoxication. You can soak the dates overnight and have the next day toprevent from severe hangovers.
Dates and a Healthy Pregnancy: Dates are rich in iron content, so an intake of the fruit by the pregnant mother protects the mother and the baby from anemia. It also prevents several problems such as bloatedness, bowel pain and intestinal difficulties that occur in women during pregnancy period. It improves the uterus muscles and smoothens the passage during delivery time. It also prevents hemorrhage soon after childbirth.
Dates for Healthy Hair: Want to have healthy hair? Dates are rich in iron content that promotes healthy circulation of blood flow to your scalp thereby helping healthy hair growth.
Punjab
Andhra Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
from February-July whereas ripening period coincides with rainfall. low relative humidity and plenty of sunshine. It is estimated that finest date varieties require 3,300units of heat (base 10`C) for full maturity of its berries.
