Tasting Notes & Perfect Pairings
The Ultimate Guide to Dates grown in the Coachella Valley
Varieties, Tasting Notes, Textures & Ways to Enjoy
Like fine California wines, California Dates each have their own characteristics, textures,
and tasting notes. While there are many varieties of dates grown in the Coachella Valley (California), these are a few of the most popular varieties
Medjool
Tasting Notes: Sweet, creamy
and rich with caramel notes
Texture: Creamy and chewy with a firm texture
Ways to Enjoy:
• Whole as delicious, nutritious snack
• In sweet and savoury recipes,
raw, baked or cooked
Deglet Noor
Tasting Notes: Less com-
plex than Medjool dates, with a delicate sweetness
Texture: Firm and dry, very versatile.
Ways to Enjoy:
• Whole as delicious, nutritious snack
• In sweet and savoury recipes, Ideal for cooking, baking, date syrup, date sugars and pastes
Brown Barhi
Tasting Notes: Sweet with
creamy honey, caramel and butterscotch flavors
Texture: Soft, creamy texture
Ways to Enjoy:
• Delicious when eaten on their own, in fresh fruit or vegetable salads, or in desserts such as cobblers
Halawi
Tasting Notes: Sweet with a caramel candy flavor.
Texture: Firm and chewy, with soft flesh.
Ways to Enjoy:
• A delicious snack on their own, in a fruit or vegetable salad, or dipped in yoghurt, cream cheese or sour cream
• Adds an excellent flavor in cooked or baked sweet and savoury recipes
Khadrawy
Tasting Notes: Mild and sweet with a smooth, buttery after taste. Honey-like sweetness and a fig-like and caramel-like flavor
Texture: Exceptionally soft and moist with a smooth and creamy texture
Ways to Enjoy:
• A perfect snacking date or blended into shakes and smoothies for added natural sweetness
Yellow Barhi
Tasting Notes: Sweet taste, often compared to apples, coconut and sugarcane, and its similarity to caramel and butter-scotch flavors.
Texture: rispy with a thick, soft, smooth, and translucent flesh and a creamy interior
Ways to Enjoy:
• As a fresh snack, stuffed with cheese or nuts, as a salad topper, blended into smoothies, or in baked goods, sweet and savory dishes.
Zahidi
Tasting Notes: A mild sweetness and subtle nutty flavor
Texture: Firm, dry, and crunchy texture
Ways to Enjoy:
• As a fresh snack, in baked goods, chopped into cereals, as a topping for yogurt.
Perfect Pairings
The natural sweetness and versatility of California Dates can elevate your favorite dishes, from savory entrées to delectable desserts. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook, get ready to enhance your meals with the delightful flavors of dates in harmony with complementary ingredients.
Here are a few of our favorite pairings with California Dates. For complete recipes visit our Recipe Center
California Dates, Cheese, Nuts & Fruit
Medjool dates pair well with cheeses such as brie, goat cheese, manchego and blue cheese, nuts including almonds, walnuts and pecans, and fruits such as grapes, apples, oranges, figs and pears. Put them all together on a platter for a delightful appetizer.
Stuffed California Dates
Dates can be stuffed with so many different foods to create the perfect appetizer, charcuterie board, or decadent dessert. Perfect pairings include California dates stuffed with cream cheese or ricotta cheese, lemon and dill; cream cheese and walnuts, nut butters such as peanut butter, almond butter or tahini; peanut butter & jelly, and sweet decadent stuffings such s chocolate, mascarpone & orange zest, as well as tiramisu stuffed dates and and cannoli stuffed dates.
More Perfect Pairings
- Chocolate dipped dates       Â
- California Dates chopped into granola    Â
- California dates as a salad topping    Â
- California dates as a sweet topping for hot and cold cereal
- Caifornia dates blended into smoothies & shakesÂ
- Date infused cocktails