dates

Dates are an ancient fruit which come from a palm that grows profusely in the Middle East. although their appearance is not exactly pretty, they are so delicious. Dates are sweet, chewy, and oh so wonderful.

You can eat this fabulous fruit in desserts, or just by themselves. You can dry them and add them to baked goods.

Dates are very healthy too because they are full of vitamins and minerals.

To say that dates have been around for a long time is an understatement. According to fossil records, they've been around for about 50 million years. In ancient times they were cultivated in Ancient Mesopotamia along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. From this area their cultivation spread to Egypt.

Traders are responsible for spreading dates to North Africa, and Spain as well as Southwest Asia. The Spaniards in turn brought dates to the New World.