Whenever we drive through the Jordan Valley we always notice that the number of date plantations is increasing every year. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this area is actually a waterless desert. The soil here is practically devoid of organic matter, greening only briefly during the scant winter rains. When we were high school students, we often went on agricultural assignments and also worked on the plantations in the Jordan Depression. The heat really got to us.
Today this desert in some places looks like the Garden of Eden.
Much has been written about the benefits of dates. The fact is that they are rich in vitamins and minerals, and their fructose is healthier than glucose. Even diabetics are advised to eat a few dates a day.
When our country is referred to as “the land flowing with milk and honey,” it means date honey – a paste made from ground fruits. Dates are among the seven species of plants that characterize the Promised Land, along with wheat and barley, olives, grapes, figs and pomegranates.
The importance of the date palm is so extraordinary that there is a special name for it in Hebrew. Any other palm tree is called a dekel (דקל), only the date palm is referred to as tamar (תמר). We know that according to biblical tradition, a name defines a person. And when you say the name Tamar, you see her – tall, slender, alluring, sweet. The name speaks to fertility and is only designated for female namesakes.
Tamar appears twice in the Bible, once as the daughter-in-law of Judah, one of Jacob’s sons. After Judah’s wife died, the widow Tamar, dressed as a prostitute, seduced her father-in-law and became pregnant by him. She gives birth to the twins Perez and Zerah, the former is a progenitor of Jesus (Matthew 1:3). This means that the Messiah comes from this line! Once again the name Tamar is mentioned as the daughter of King David, the sister of Amnon and Absalom.
Did you know that a third of all these sweet fruits exported around the world are produced in the Promised Land? That’s why I wanted to tell you a little about the effort and technology that our farmers use to achieve such excellent results.
As you might already know, the most popular and sought-after date variety in the world is the Medjool. Technology has been developed in Israel to achieve record yields from this strain. An incredible 150-200 kg (330-440 lbs) of these wonderful fruits are harvested from each Tamar palm tree per season. And that’s a multiple of what our neighbors grow. The date palm is not a real tree, its trunk consists of dense fibers and has no growth rings. During the ripening period, the palm trees require a lot of water – from 700 liters (185 gallons) per day for each tree in the Jordan Valley, to 1,000 liters (265 gallons) in the Dead Sea region. It is said of the date palm tree that it stands with its feet in the water and its head on fire.
Where do you get so much water in the desert? Israeli technology!
There are several male date palms on the plantations, from which pollen is collected during the proper season and transferred to the female trees with the help of technological advances such as fertilization with drones. The dates do not ripen on the palm at the same time. The best dates are those that ripen first. They are handpicked, one after the other. The best, so-called “super-juicy” fruits are exported. In fact, they are on their way to you right now!
Pre-order your premium Israeli Mejdool dates from us!
