Dates - is there something horrible about them?

[pointydog]

I am cooking with dates tonight and cannot get out of my head something I think I read about them a while ago.

Something about lots and lots of tiny insects living around the stone.

Is this a myth or is there something unpleasant about dates and insects?

surely someone's heard something about dates?

I'm sure I read it in a respectable publication otherwise I woildn't have remembered it.

Well, i cant eat them because something about the shape and colour and the texture of the skin makes me think of cockroaches.

I find them faintly revolting for no good reason

I find the idea that this is due to a genetic memory of lots and lots of tiny insects living round the stone, very compelling

yeah, cockroaches, agree - I feel I can't eat them kind of instinctively too....

enjoy your meal, PD, lol

they're rank.

rics.ucdavis.edu/postharvest2/Produce/ProduceFacts/Fruit/Dates.shtml

there's something here. Under insect infestation.

I'll dig deeper.

When I've eaten my datey meal

Oooh - I love them - especially if you get taken out somewhere really lovely and foodie .... Ah not that sort of Date ... OK - Well yes i love those sort of dates too !!!

JeremyVile - that is exactly what I was going to say. They remind me of fat, headless roaches.

Bluuuuuugh

If you think that way, you won't eat anything. Cod can have worms in it apparently!

Not OUR cod, of course!

ooh, vaguely remember something about a species of wasp that lives in dates....or was that figs?

just found a whole paper on'insects on dried fruits'

think I'll stop now. I ate the dates and I'm fine.