Ramadan 2024: Where do your dates come from?

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria produce nearly half the world’s dates.

As the sun goes down during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims will break their fasts with a sweet, brown, dried fruit that has ancient history in the region.

During these 29 or 30 days, able-bodied, observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God.

Breaking one’s fast with dates and water is rooted in the religious teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and is specifically mentioned in the Quran for its nutritional value.

Dates, fresh or dried, contain important vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are also high in antioxidants.