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Nature's candy with a perfect blend of sweetness and caramelised texture that comes to our palate the moment we put it in our mouth is the Halawi Dates. "Halawi" is an Arabic word that means "sweet". From time immemorial to the present day, it has been harvested from what we know as the Ottoman Empire in southern Iraq. This particular variety has migrated to different parts of the world, but it only thrives in desert-like climates and can withstand humidity.
Shape, taste and season
The medium-sized Halawi date has thin, buttery yellow skin, an elongated oval form, and other distinguishing features. Despite being somewhat fibrous and semi-soft, it melts quickly on the mouth and gets soft with each bite. This date has been compared to the buttery flavour of a pecan pie without the overpowering sweetness since it is the pinnacle of butter and caramel. Throughout the fall, these dates are available. They also go by the name "Halawy" and are a semi-dry kind that resembles the Deglet Noor in terms of appearance and texture.
Nutritional value
Halawi Dates also contain minerals like copper, flavonoids, amino acids, potassium, antioxidants, zinc, magnesium, calcium phosphorous, and iron, as well as B vitamins (especially B6), vitamin K, and vitamin A. One recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry states that these dates improved triglyceride profiles and lowered oxidative stress levels. It does this by reducing blood triglycerides, which enhances the quality of blood cholesterol by reducing its oxidation by attaching itself to harmful, oxygen-free radicals and removing them from the body. All the health benefits translate into a reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease.
Halawi dates, Image Source: aradbranding.com
Use it to break the fast
The body needs the proper nutrition and minerals after a long fasting period or gaps between the last and next meal. A typical example is a breakfast. The best thing about this fruit is that it has no "sugar surge" effect even after a long gap between eating. So, it is good food for breaking fasts as it is low glycemic and loaded with fibre. Due to the high fibre content in the Halawi dates, the unhealthy sugar surge is diminished. In simpler terms, we can say safely that a Type 2 diabetic person can also safely have this fruit for breaking his or her fasting without being tense about their blood sugar surge.
Ways to consume them
Stuffed halawi, Image Source: Instagram
From their barely ripe tamar stage to their completely mature khalal stage, halawi dates provide more complexity as they mature. Due to its lower-than-normal sugar level, although renowned for being slightly sweet, it is a suitable date choice for those with sugar sensitivity. The Halawi date is most frequently used when it is fully ripe and sweeter and semi-soft, even though it can occasionally be found while young, firm, and just ripe. At this stage of ripeness, they preserve a moderate sugar content and a comparatively hard quality that allows for simple dicing and chopping without turning into mush in bread dough, biscuits, and cakes. Their strong form and thick, chewy meat make great stuffing.
