Summer fruits: Dates

UAE summers are extremely hot. Well, that is an understatement. A short walk outside and you are searing, tired and completely dehydrated. But there is a beautiful side to the scorching summer – dates! Ever street, park, beach area is lined with date palms laden with plump, ripe fruit, waiting to be plucked. The young yellow dates turn a deep red as they ripen and black when they dry.

A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is an excellent source of vitamin A, B and C, carbohydrates, protein, iron and other minerals and amino acids. 100 grams of dates supplies 230 kcal of energy. Dry or soft dates are eaten as such or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, candied orange, lemon peel, marzipan or cream cheese. It is very popular to gift chocolate covered dates on festive occasions. Dates are also used in a variety of desserts.

Date syrup or date honey, commonly available at supermarkets, is consumed with milk as an energy provider. It can also be used as a topping for icecream, pancakes, yoghurt, waffles or Danish pastries. Or even on kulfi.

For a power packed energy drink, blend together 5 dates, 10 figs and 15 raisins with a glass of milk - drives away fatigue instantly.

Read more about the nutritional benefits of dates here, here and here. Did you know that dates could be the oldest food producing plant? Read this.

Karkade

I've seen many vendors in my part of the world selling dried little blossoms called karkade and wondered how popular it was with the Arab women - aren't they a fashionable lot? Someone suggested using karkade as a natural hair conditioner and colouring agent, I bought a bunch and used it regularly along with henna, but I didn't see it having any effect on my hair colour! I had no idea what karkade was, only after seeing this post did I learn it was the good, old and very common hibiscus!

The outer leaves of the hibiscus flower called the hibiscus calyx/ rosella/ natal sorrel/ karkadé is commonly used in many parts of the world to make hot and cold infusions. Nutritionally, it contains vitamin C, flavinoids, amino acids and other antioxidants, and its extract has been used in medicine to improve metabolism, liver and pancreas function, reduce fevers, clear a blocked nose, regulate appetite, improve digestion, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol, improve resistance and reduce eye fatigue. Karkade is Egyptian hibiscus tea believed to be the preferred drink of the Pharoahs. In Egypt and Sudan, wedding celebrations are traditionally toasted with a glass of hibiscus tea. In other parts of Africa, roselle is used to make wine, in the Caribbean as tea with ginger and other spices, in Guatemala to cure a hangover. Hot or cold, it is a delicious drink having a ruby-red wine hue and tastes tart like a pomegranate or cranberry juice. Read more about karkade here, here and here.

For the hibiscus tea, you'll need:

1 cup water

a handful of karkade petals

sugar or honey as per taste

Boil the water along with the karkade petals and simmer for five minutes. Add sugar/honey and cover for a few minutes till it infuses. Serve hot like tea.

I made the hibiscus cordial from Happy Cook's blog but cut down the quantity.

For the hibiscus cordial you'll need:

2 cups karkade

2 cups sugar

3 cups water

Heat the sugar and water till the sugar dissolves completely. Add the karkade and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and simmer till the volume reduces and you get a deep red syrup. Remove from flame, strain and cool. Bottle the syrup in sterilised bottles - keeps well in the fridge.

To serve add one part syrup to nine parts water and mix well. Top with some ice cubes and a dash of lime.

This goes for MBP to Nupur of One Hot Stove who says Less is More.

This also goes to JFI-Edile FLowers hosted at Soul Food and Summer Splash hosted at Nalabhagham.