Sensuous Fruits (1)

Unless you live in California, you have probably not eaten fresh dates. If you get the chance, try them by all means. The most sensuous fruit experience I have ever had!

I love dried fruits. At least, I love dried fruits that haven't been messed around with. I want them unsweetened and not "enhanced" in any way. That's not to say that I would pass up a big, plump glaceed apricot from Australia, but I think of that as candy, not fruit. My favorite dried fruits are figs, dates, raisins, and pears.

My father used to bring home fresh figs when he could find them, usually the green calimyrna figs. I see them in the grocery store once in a while, and I can rarely resist them. The problem is that it's hard to get them when they're perfectly ripe. Some people don't like all the tiny seeds, but I think they're less of a problem in a fresh fig than in a dried one because they're softer. I can remember having bottled figs when I was a kid, and they tasted pretty good. Now I don't see them anymore, but sometimes you can buy figs in a can. Don't waste your money. Unfortunately, the figs taste like the can, not like themselves, which is no good.

There are also brown figs, such as Turkey figs and mission figs. I like these, too, although not quite as much as the green ones. Figs are grown in California, as are dates. Figs grow in Florida and the other Gulf Coast states, as well, and many an old Italian "up north" has a fig tree that he or she has to cover or take inside for the winter. It's a lot of trouble, but the fruit is worth it.

I used to think there was no fruit-eating experience to surpass a perfectly ripe fig, but that was before I tried fresh dates. Dates are an ancient food and a staple in middle eastern diets. In 2003, Saudi Arabia gave over 600 tons of dates to the World Food Program for distribution in Afghanistan. Although many dates are grown in California, in Oswego, New York (and almost everywhere else) we only see dried dates. Barhi dates, grown in California, are available fresh locally, but I don't think they are shipped very far. If they are, I haven't been able to find any! The only time I have had the chance to eat fresh dates was in Germany. It's hard to describe what a fresh date tastes like. Honestly, I always thought that dried dates must be sweetened, but when I first ate a fresh date, I was shocked to discover that they are nearly as sweet as the dried ones. The main difference is the greater moisture content. A fresh date pops in your mouth when you bite into it. Then your mouth fills with an unbelievable sweetness. True, fresh dates are a bit fibrous near the pit, but the whole "mouth feel" is of something plump, a little crunchy, and amazingly sweet.

There are many varieties of dates. My favorite dried date is the large Medjool date. The fresh dates I have eaten were the size of a Medjool, but I'm not sure if that is what they were. But if you can imagine a Medjool date plumped up, with smooth skin and three shades lighter in color, that's about what I had. To die for!