Dates have broken out of their Christmas-only ghetto to have year-round appeal to consumers, Tesco claimed.
The retailer said dates were now one of the UK’s fastest growing fruit delicacies, and in the last year, demand for dates at Tesco has rocketed following the UK boom in healthier snacking foods.
Driving the trend is the medjool date, sales of which have risen by 30 per cent over the past year, and by 100 per cent in the last three years - making it one of Britain’s fastest growing organic foods.
Kris Comerford, dates buyer, said: “Dates, once destined to lurk at the bottom of the festive fruit bowl but ultimately thrown out with the Christmas tree and cards in January, have become one of Britain’s trendiest foods.
“The medjool date has emerged as a tasty but nutritious snack or dessert. People tend to find that three or four are enough to give them a sweet snack or after-dinner treat.
“Previously the UK public only remembers dates as being sugar coated and eaten at Christmas. However, fresh medjool dates have a completely different taste. Once tasted, your perception of dates does change completely.”
Medjool dates are larger, fleshier and naturally sweeter than the more traditional glove-box dates, and have a softer skin. They contain a rich blend of protein, fat and mineral products including copper, iron, magnesium and fluoric acid.
The retailer said Bedouin Arabs, who eat them on a regular basis, show an extremely low incidence rate of cancer and heart disease. They are also included in the popular GI diet.
