Medjool dates: what they are and how they differ from ordinary dates

Medjool dates (also spelt "medjoul") are a date variety with large, soft, fleshy fruit that tastes of caramel or honey. You eat them straight from the pack, stuff them, or add them to desserts, smoothies and salads. In Polish they are simply "daktyle Medjool".

What the Medjool variety is

Dates are the fruit of the date palm. There are a great many varieties, which differ in size, colour, moisture and sweetness. Medjool is a variety from Morocco. Today it is grown in many hot, dry countries, including the Middle East and the United States.

A Medjool date is large and dark brown, with slightly wrinkled skin. The flesh is dense and sticky, and the stone is fairly small compared with the fruit. Medjool dates are usually sold whole, with the stone in.

Medjool vs ordinary dates

The "ordinary" dates sold in Polish supermarkets ("daktyle suszone") are usually dried fruit of smaller varieties, often stoned and pressed into blocks or sold loose. The differences are clear:

In Middle Eastern and Asian food shops you will also find other varieties, for example soft, dark Iranian dates sold as fresh ("świeże daktyle"), or dates dried hard. Each has a different sweetness and moisture, so it is worth trying a few.

How to eat and use Medjool dates

• Straight from the pack. Cut the date lengthways and take out the stone.
• Stuffed. Fill with a cashew, an almond, a piece of goat's cheese or a teaspoon of peanut butter.
• In smoothies. One or two dates sweeten a banana and milk smoothie.
• In no-bake desserts. Blended dates with nuts and cocoa make a mixture for date balls or a tart base.
• In Indian and Arab cooking. Dates go into chutneys (for example date and tamarind), into sweets, and are served with tea to guests.
• In savoury dishes. Chopped dates suit tagine, couscous and salads with cheese.

For baking, cheaper dried varieties work better. It is a waste to hide Medjool dates in a cake, because their soft texture and taste are best eaten raw.

How to store Medjool dates

Medjool dates are moist, so they keep their quality longer in the cold. Keep an unopened pack in the fridge. Move an opened pack to an airtight container, so the fruit does not dry out or pick up smells. You can also freeze dates. They are still soft after thawing.

A white coating on the skin is often sugar that has crystallised on the surface. Mould looks different: fluffy, green or grey. Throw away mouldy fruit.

Where to buy Medjool dates

Medjool dates are on the Filistina Medjoul dates 908 g page, and a larger pack is on the Medjoul dates 2 kg page. For comparison, try the fresh Iranian dates from Złota Palma. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships online orders.