Dates
are very sweet, have a pleasant flavor and high nutritional benefits;
therefore, their cultivation in Iran traces back to more than 3000 years ago.
They are mainly cultivated in the Southern areas of Iran and occupy about 240
hectares of the lands. Statistics reveal that the annual production of dates in
Iran is more than 1200000 tons and according to the Islamic Republic of Iran
Customs Administrations official report, each year more than 150000 tons of
Iranian dates are exported to other countries, mainly to Russia, Turkey,
Germany, England and Canada.
Date
and its waste can be used in a variety of ways in food industry and food
conversion processing industries.
Dates
are packed with fiber which is extremely healthful for the digestive system of
the body. Also, they contain carotenoids which are the precursors of vitamin A
and powerful antioxidants that can prevent the oxidation of cellules and as a
result fight cancer. In addition dates are a good source of potassium,
magnesium, folic acids and vitamins A, B, C and E.
Different
types of dates are:
-
Piarom dates
-
Rabbi dates
-
Zahedi dates
-
Mazafati dates
Piarom date is the best, most luxury and most expensive kind of date produced in Iran...
The highest quality Rabbi date is produced in the highest quantities in Sistan Baluchestan province in the South of Iran...
Mazafati Date is one of the most wildly known of all date types cultivated in Iran...
Zahedi date, which is also called Ghasb date is cultivated in the Southern areas of Iran, mainly in Fars, Bushehr, Khuzestan and Kerman provinces.