How long have dates been around for?

The date palm tree has been around for thousands of years and is referenced in the ancient scripts and it is referenced by western and middle eastern religions. It is known that dates were cultivated about six thousand years ago and they are mentioned in the Quran and Bible. Islam regards the date palm tree as the tree of life which is mentioned in the story of Genesis. The date is not as well known in the west as other fruits such as the apple, but it is very important to the Middle East and the Sahara Desert. The fruit is very important in the Arabian and North African Countries because the date palm tree grows well in the dry desert heat. In the past dates took a very important role for certain desert regions as the staple food crop. It was comparable to rice, wheat, and potatoes in other cultures.

How did the Medjool dates get to the Coachella Valley in Southern California?

See the previous tab titled "The Amazing Rescue of the Medjool Date Variety". In short, these are part of the group of trees that were sent over by a Moroccan Sheik and Dr. Walter Swingle to save them from extinction due to disease.

Why are dates so popular in the Middle East?

Because they've been there for so long (around thousands of years!) Naturally they've been incorporated into the Middle Eastern lifestyle. According to the World Food and Agricultural Organization, there are an estimated 100 million date palm trees worldwide. An estimated 62 million date palm trees can be found in the Arab world. It is not known where the date palm tree originated. Some experts believe that date palm first originated in Babel, Iraq, while others believe that it originated in Dareen or Hofuf, Saudi Arabia or Harqan, an island on the Arabian Gulf in Bahrain.