Dates eating in UK

[Quadri]

Does people from UK like to eat dates? Are there many date shops in UK?

They’re very overpriced here and not as nice as they are in hot countries (been stored for ages), so they’re not particularly popular. I eat maybe one packet a year, around xmas. Costs about £5 for ten or something like that, rip off.

I was surprised to read how healthy they are for pregnant women in terms of improving labour, wish that was more well known.

We have a date palm in our front garden so eat them a lot (obviously we don’t live in the UK!) We are also encouraged to eat them in the final weeks of pregnancy - not sure of the science behind that!

@Borracha IRON rich

Love a good date, not those hideous sticky things in the plastic boxes with a plastic spilikin thing, but a decent, proper fat date...yum! Our local farm shop has them in most of the year, they aren't cheap, but they are my luxury on payday!

I'm in Cumbria and I bloody love a Zamli

I wonder if some stats somewhere shows Cumbria as a county with abnormally high usages of dates for the population due to all the sticky toffee pudding making going on at Cartmel

Ooh I love dates.

I freeze them and eat them when I need to curb a sugar craving.

Especially nice halved, with a good smear of peanut butter and melted dark chocolate on top (and then popped in the freezer for half an hour).

I eat dates a lot - love them ! (p.s. I'm not a Muslim, I just like dates !)
Date & banana sandwich, yummy !!

I buy dates for cooking from the supermarket and every so often, better ones from Oxfam (Zaytoun brand) for stuffed dates. But the best ones I’ve had were from an Asian food store in Bradford around Eid time - they were incredible.

If you fill dates with peanut butter and drizzle with dark chocolate they taste amazing.

I also use dates to make sticky toffee pudding

Ooh I love dates and eat them all year round. Usually just buy them in the supermarket - the Sainsburys Zamli ones are my current favourite, with some good quality cashews on the side. Over Christmas I do usually treat myself to some stuffed with marzipan.

I'm also a very frequent baker of a date and walnut loaf cake, so nice with a cup of tea.

@cheapskatemum please can I have your mug cake recipe? 🙏🏼
I really love dates, fresh not dried. I used to live near a fruit / veg / food shop in north London that sold really wonderful fresh ones, they were such a treat!

I have one a year from a token box at PILs house at Xmas. They make my teeth ache they are so sweet.

Sticky toffee pudding and Eid is probably the source of biggest use in the UK.

@FictionalCharacter yes, of course. I'm at work at the moment, will do it when I get a minute once home.

@FictionalCharacter

Sticky date mug cake

Ingredients
45g dates, finely diced
6tbsp milk
4tsp butter
1/4tsp baking powder
8 tbsp ground almonds
1 egg, whisked
1 handful pecans, chopped

Method

1. Halve all ingredients into 2 separate mugs for each step of method
2. Add dates & milk & microwave 30-45 seconds, until softened & liquid is bubbling. Once out of microwave, stir continuously until dates have blended well into the milk.
3. Add butter & baking powder to each mug & stir until melted.
4. Add ground almonds, pecans & half of egg to each mug& stir well to combine
5. Cook each mug separately in microwave 90sec-2mins. Serve topped with double cream.

Bateel sells a variety of delicious dates and they are now available in the UK by mail order as well as from a few shops.

bateel.com/en/all-products?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-fmZBhDtARIsAH6H8qiYeWspmvbVw0cOD1GeNzRDwKtrwfoYVxaFj0g0rGFJNSSOdzNV2SsaAuPLEALw_wcB

I ate them in late pregnancy as the research said it would help.

Well I can only speak for myself but I love dates, I cook with them and turn them into healthy syrup for pancakes or ice cream or in place of sugar in smoothies. Medjool dates are the superior date but often very expensive and in small quantities in shops. I order £50 boxes from Amazon that are imported.

Which are the not so sweet ones? I love the idea of dates and buy them but they are too sweet for me. They eventually get eaten by dh but he has a sweeter tooth than I do

By no means a date expert but fresh dates from the supermarket are delish. To be fair, I haven't seen fresh dates in a while but we moved from London less than a decade ago. Hmm.

Gorgeous with a stuffed shoulder of spiced lamb.

I'm suprised at supermarkets stocking fresh dates. I've only ever seen them in London, eg Edgware Road. Most people in the UK are baffled when I serve them and have no idea what they are. Unless people mean rutab dates, ripe dates that have started to shrivel and dry but aren't actually dried?

I don't think I've ever seen green dates in a supermarket in the UK. My guess is people just mean soft dates.

I'm English. I bloody love dates and eat them all year round.

I eat them year round but the good ones (Medjool) etc are expensive. I like them alongside cheese and crackers! There are always more dates in the supermarket around Christmas.

Thank you @cheapskatemum , that sounds delicious!