Recipe: A date-pistachio treat fit for breaking a Ramadan fast

posted on: Jun 19, 2015

I still remember the anticipation of watching the sun sink closer and closer to the horizon. It was Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. My childhood hometown of Dubai held its breath as the fiery ball dipped lower, lower and then finally into oblivion.

“Boom!” went the cannon, announcing that the day of fasting was over. Across the city, Muslims broke their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did, with a single date and a glass of water. The evening feast, known as “iftar” would only happen after prayers. (Ramadan this year begins in the evening of June 17 and continues through July 17.)

There is little resembling those days in my new hometown of Los Angeles except for the palm trees and boxes of impossibly sweet dates at the supermarket. Without thinking, I still reach for them, a shortcut to home.

Dates are revered in the Middle East. References to dates line the Koran, and the tree even sits on the Saudi seal. Nomadic Bedouins depended on its high sugar and fiber to sustain them during their travels. In fact, dates traveled with the Arab empire as far away as Spain, where they are wrapped in bacon and shallow-fried (an incarnation you’re not likely to find on a Muslim table, given the prohibition of pork from their diet!).

Walk into most Arab homes and you’ll be greeted by a plate of dates and a demitasse of strong, black Arabic coffee. You’ll find all kinds of delicious desserts made with dates, but they’re also used in savory preparations, such as pilafs, meat dishes and tagines.

Here’s my addition to the compendium: date-pistachio balls that are dipped in dark chocolate. They are best eaten cold, right out of the refrigerator if you’re anything like me!

Source: www.sltrib.com