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Being based in the world’s second exporter of dates, Amoot Iranian is a major trader of this area. With over 25,000 m2 cold storage facilities in Reygan area of Bam with hygienic sorting line area of 2,000 m2 and a nominal capacity of 12,000 MT storage, Amoot Iranian has exported more than 40,000 MT of dates to Asia, UAE, Qatar, Russia and Europe such as Italy, Germany, and England.
Kabkab, Mazafati, Piarom.
With this rich facilities, Amoot Iranian supplies its customers’ demanded quantity in best quality and shortest possible time. The products may be packed in the company’s own branding or the packing in customers’ design and brand. They may be packed in normal or luxury cartons or IML containers.
Our products are certified by all the relative organizations and have received the Standard Certificate, ISO, and Health Certificate …
The products are to be delivered in any delivery term demanded by the customer, EXW, FOB, CFR, NOR, FOT.
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Date (Fruit)
The date palm is one of the palm family species mainly harvested for its sweet edible and nutritious fruit. Interestingly, every single part of this plant has been useful for mankind of different eras, for instance, its trunk is used in the ceiling or column structure of local buildings and lasts approximately 300 to 500 years.
There is also a sweet, astringent, crunchy milky center called Palm Cheese highly nutritious and expensive. The poor quality dates are processed to make vinegar for making pickled vegetables.
Its actual origin is not known due to the old cultivation history, however, it most probably may be some area near Egypt or as mentioned in other sources Beynonahrein, Iraq. It is almost from 6,000 years B.C when man discovered the nutritional value of Date and began its cultivation and production. It is grown in many tropical regions globally and is quite popular among people all around the world.
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Mazafati Date vs. Date
It is commonly believed that Mazafati Date (Rutab) is the same as Date however they are different. After the plant’s flowers change to a hard green fruit, the fruit also becomes red or yellow. The hot sunshine of the area makes a juicy dark fruit called Rutab. This is when some species’ fruit is collected and used such as Mazafati Date (Rutab) and Kabkab (golden yellow).
The other types are left for more 20 days of extremely hot weather on the tree to lose more water and become dry. The semi-dry fruit which is called Date such as Zahedi and Piarom type. In fact, some of these semi-dry fruits is dried fully then sent to the market.
Among the black dates, the favorable ones are those which have a thinner peel, are fleshy and large. Hence the Rutab with thicker peel, lighter color and small is the one with poor quality.
The hotter the area of Date production, the earlier (from Early August) it will be presented to the market. The dates are collected in 3-5 harvests in which the first one often negligible rottenness and the next harvests yield the best quality product to be supplied to the market.
The harvest time continues till early October and dates are partially sent to the market directly and the rest are stored in cold storage facilities and often sold till early spring next year. The fruit’s appearance indicates whether or not it has been dried. A wrinkled skin fruit is the one dried while the smooth skin presents the fruit’s freshness.
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Date Nutritional Facts
Date is a sweet tasty fruit with an excellent nutrition profile. It is rich in Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and range of Vitamins.
When they are dried their calorie becomes higher than the fresh. Hence the calorie content of dried dates is high like the other dried fruits.
Their calorie mostly comes from carbs, however, the rest little portion is from the protein content.
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Dates contain below nutrients per 100-gram serving:
Potassium: 20% of the RDI (Reference Daily Intake)
Magnesium: 14% of the RDI
Copper: 18% of the RDI
Manganese: 15% of the RDI
Iron: 5% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 12% of the RDI
Calories: 277
Carbohydrate: 75 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Protein: 2 grams
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- In comparison with similar fruits such as figs and dried plums, dates also have the high amount of various antioxidants which help reduce the risk of several diseases such as cancer.
- Containing almost 7 grams of fiber in a 100-gram serving, dates are the great ingredient of your daily diet to supply the fiber intake. It is also a beneficial food to control blood sugar level by the digestion being slowed down with fiber and preventing blood sugar level be spiked too high after eating.
- Dates have been observed to promote brain health and function through different processed.
- Studies show dates have the potential to promote and ease labor in pregnant women. It is probably due to containing compounds which bind to oxytocin receptors and imitate oxytocin operation in the body causing labor contractions during childbirth.
- Dates are a healthy source of natural sugar containing fructose. That is the reason for them being very sweet with a caramel-like taste. They may be used as a healthy substitute for the white sugar in different recipes adding not only sweetness but also nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. For this, date paste is made by mixing dates in a blender with the relative amount of water. And add date paste instead of sugar of the same amount in each recipe.
- Including phosphorous, potassium, calcium and magnesium dates help to prevent bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis.
- Due to low glycemic index, fiber and antioxidants dates are potentially a great blood sugar regulator.
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There are many different ways to eat dates. Being used as snack plainly, being incorporated into other popular dishes and desserts, and being paired with almonds, nut butter or soft cheese are merely a few ways of adding this nutritious and delicious fruit to one’s diet.
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Date Types
There are approximately 1,600 different varieties of dates cultivated around the world. Some of the most well-known species are:
Barhee/Barhi– Originally from Basra, Iraq, the Bahree date is a small, round, chewy variety of date with a caramel flavor. They have a medium-thick skin and are amber to dark brown in color when ripe. Unlike other date varieties, they are not dried or processed but eaten fresh. Where most varieties are only edible in one stage of development, the Bahree date can be eaten in three different stages of development.
Kabkab – Kabkab dates are amongst the more important and abundant date varieties in south Iran. They are long, oval and around 3.5-4cm in size and vary from yellow to dark brown in colour depending on ripeness. Kabkab dates have a soft, fine texture and a hard skin due to their long, grey pit that clings to the flesh. They are popular for their delicious, sweet, syrupy taste.
Khenaizi – A ‘luxury’ date from the United Arab Emirates. Khenaizi dates are soft, medium-sized dates with a mild sweetness. They are dark brown in colour, with a juicy texture and best enjoyed before they are fully dried.
Medjool – The most difficult to cultivate and therefore the most expensive variety of date, large in size and with amber to reddish-brown skin, a rich, sweet taste, and fibrous texture. Known as the “king of dates“, Medjool dates are originally from Morocco but are also grown in the US, Israel, Saudia Arabia, and Jordan.
Mazafati – A medium-sized, dark, soft, fleshy date with a sweet taste and relatively high moisture content. Also known as Bam dates (after the region in which the most delicious dates of this kind are grown), Mazafati dates are one of the many different kinds of Iranian date fruit. They are perhaps the most popular, well-known variety of date, accounting for an estimated 20% of Iran’s total date export.
Piarom – A round, black-brown date, widely considered the most delicious of all semi-dry date varieties. Piarom dates, also known as Marayami dates or ‘chocolate’ dates’, are arguably one of the most delicious semi-dried varieties of date in the world. Unique in taste and appearance, they are one of the most expensive varieties of dates available, particularly as their production is exclusive to Hajiabad.
Rabbi – A soft, dark-brown, semi-dried date, long in size and with a moisture content of under 15%. Rabbi dates are amongst the best-loved and earliest date varieties. Their production is exclusive to Iran, with cultivars grown in Sistan and Baluchestan province, known to produce dates of particularly high quality. Rabbi dates come just behind Stamaran, Shahani, Mazafati and Kabkab dates as having the most economic value of all date produce in Iran.
Rotab – Rotab dates are a medium-sized dark, soft and sweet variety of date. They are grown in the Bam region of Iran. They are particularly suited to fresh consumption due to their long shelf life.
Sayer – A thin-skinned, semi-dry date with a unique taste, ranging from yellow to amber, to reddish-brown on color as it ripens. Also known as Stamaran,
Saamaran, Stamara or Samberun dates, they are one of the many delicious varieties of date produced in Iran, accounting for 65% of all dates produced there. They are the main variety of dates produced in Khuzestan province and, as one of the highest quality Iranian dates, they have high export value.
Zahidi – A semi-dry date with a sweet, sugary flavor, smooth, glossy golden-yellow skin and full of syrup. Although cultivated in a number of regions of Iran, the most extensive production of Zahedi dates takes place in Dashtestan, a city in Bushehr province, where they are the only product that is exported.
Among all above, Mazafati Date is the best and most famous type which is also the most important date product of Iran both in domestic and global markets. Mazafati Date’s taste, texture, freshness and being juicy makes it distinguishable and different from other types.
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Date production Process
Storing Dates
- Dry Date does not require to be kept in the fridge.
- Most of the Rutabs and some of Dates must be kept at 0 °C – in fridge- however, some others do not need to be refrigerated. Therefore, to be able to keep dates for a long time at room temperature, it would be better to choose dried dates.
- If you are not a fan of semi-dried dates and prefer Mazafati, you should be aware of the fact that Kabkab type is the one highly nutritious and may be kept out of the fridge for some time, although they may not look good.
- Some of the dates crystalize in cool and humid place, and using them is not bad at all. However, if you do not like them, you should not keep dates in the fridge in winter.
- Some people eat dates without having them washed. It is better to wash dates as much as it is going to be consumed prior to eating them, using hot water. Keeping washed dates for a long time will make it sour. However, dried dates are better not to be washed since they are disinfected in the production process.