China's Dates

One would think that there is only so much one can do with a fruit. The Chinese however seem to have a neverending well of ideas of how to add just another fascinating looking product to their already huge choice of packaged food.

A Chinese grocery-store presents itself to Western people as an adventurous world and the experiences one encounters there can be funny, shocking, puzzling or simply astonishing. Whether it’s China’s long deprivation of processed food or its general practical love for inventing numerous differing products of one and the same ingredient is not really known, but it’s nonetheless amazing to see all the colourful and interesting end products after one kind of fruit for example has been processed. Of course the Chinese are doing the same to all the rest of their natural products like vegetables, meat, fish, grains, etc…

China has an overwhelming variety of fruit and one of the Chinese most favourite ones are dates. There are Sour and Honey Dates, Royal Dates, Ejiao Honey Dates, Dates (finally the normal version of dates) and even Instant Honeyed Date Drinks which are supposedly great for ones face and skin.

According to Chinese nutrition, fruit and basically almost every other nutriment have a certain function and influence on the human body’s health. Dates in China are usually classified as natural and healthy ‘green’ food.

One product in China is called Dried Date Meat. It does not contain meat, but only Chinese dates, is sticky and sweet, suitable for cooking with porridge or rice and good for ones health if eaten daily.

The Red Chinese Dates are relatively moist, as they haven’t been completely dried, make one more healthy and beautiful if eaten daily and are especially good for women. Another version of China’s dates is the Red Date and Hawthorne Burger which can actually lower the blood pressure and the fat levels in the blood.

Of particularly interesting nature is China’s Pitted Golden Thread Date which is frequently referred to as a ‘devine date’ and even has a history as the ‘king of fruits’. Used as a token of tribute, this date was given to the emperors during the Tang-Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). It contains various amino-acids and elements such as iron, calcium and phosphorous and has a disinfectant and curative effect on the human body.

No matter whether one likes dates or not, one should at least try some of China’s manifold dates and feel their healing powers affect ones body.