🌴 Rutab (Fresh Dates)
Rutab are dates picked at the soft, half-ripe stage between the crunchy yellow khalal and the fully dried tamr. They are juicy and syrupy with a thin, tender skin and a gentle caramel sweetness, lighter in texture than dried dates. In the Gulf they are eaten by the handful in late summer, often with Arabic coffee or to break the fast during Ramadan.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh rutab dates
- cold water, for rinsing
- Arabic coffee or water, to serve
Method
- Rinse the dates gently under cold water and pat dry.
- Keep them chilled until serving, as rutab ferment quickly at room temperature.
- Serve in a bowl alongside coffee or water.
How to make it lighter
- A few dates go a long way; count them rather than eating straight from the box.
- Pair them with coffee or water instead of sweet drinks.
- Remove the pits before serving so the portion is easier to see.
History
The date palm has been cultivated in the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia for thousands of years, and Arabic has separate names for each stage of ripeness. Rutab is the seasonal stage, appearing in markets across Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and Iraq at the height of the summer harvest.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →