1 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber Protection of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: I'm any Yes and I'm Lareen Welco bam, and today 3 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: we have an episode for you about dates. Yeah, like 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: that's yes, yes, Because this is Saber, we are talking 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: about the food ostensibly a food show again. Yes, another 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: slogan slash T shirt we should have. Yeah. I I 7 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: do love a date. I don't have too much experience 8 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: with them, but I have a good friend who's from 9 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: Iran and we've been friends since middle school and she 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: loves dates and she introduced me to them, and she's 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: shown me many recipes with them. Uh. And so every 12 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: time I think of a date, I think of Marissa 13 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: whoever reached before on this podcast. Yeah him, Rissa, if 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: you're listening, Yeah, yeah, I I love a date. Um. 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: I went through a big date period. Maybe oh gosh, 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 1: it was a long time ago now, like like fifteen 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: years ago. Um, but they still often to remind me. 18 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: I think this is from Indiana Jones and Raiders of 19 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: the Lost Ark. I think early on in the film 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: there's like a poisoned date that the monkey eats and 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: then there's no more monkey. Um. What Yeah, Yeah, they're 22 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: trying to they're trying to assassinate, you know, Dr Jones 23 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: and goodness and the poison date, with the poison date, 24 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: stop his search for the ark. Wow. Yeah, see again. 25 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: I've said it before. That would be the easiest way 26 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,639 Speaker 1: to kill me. Free food. I will take it. Please, 27 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: don't get any ideas, listeners, but yeah, please, and thank you, 28 00:01:55,080 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: thank you. Uh. But I wasn't thinking about dates because 29 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: I was thinking of poisoning anyone. Uh No. Rather, Ramadan 30 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: just ended, uh, which is a month of heightened spiritual 31 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: reflection and service in Muslim practice. Um. Yeah, I just 32 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: ended about a week or so ago. Um. And dates 33 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: the fruit are a traditional way to break the daily 34 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: sunrise to sunset fast or uh, dawn to dusk fast. 35 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: I guess it's more technically correct. Um. They're also a 36 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: popular ingredient in desserts for eed, which is the holiday 37 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: at the end of Ramadan. So yeah, yeah, yeah, and 38 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: here we are. I suppose that brings us to our question. 39 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: I guess dates. What are they? Well? Dates are a 40 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: type of small fruit that, when harvested fresh, are often 41 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: already slightly dried. They're sort of self preserving. They're very 42 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: sweet and sort of rich, tasting. They're dense and can 43 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: be almost creamy in texture, like a like a like 44 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: a slightly less sticky caramel um or like a fruit 45 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: patte that just like grows that way on trees. Uh uh, 46 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: they're like okay, Like I talk a lot about dishes 47 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: where when you eat them, you feel like somebody cares 48 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: about you. Um, this is like nature cares about you. 49 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: This is like nature was just going like, oh, you 50 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: deserve something nice. There you go, oh yeah, well thank 51 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: you nature. Right yeah. Uh. Dates grow on a type 52 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 1: of tall, long lived palm tree called a date palm um. 53 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: Taxonomical name Phoenix dactylifera. Yeah, yeah, something like that. Botanically 54 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: speak ing um. These trees are super interesting because they're 55 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: sort of a study in contradictions. They're tolerant of salty 56 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: soil but don't like salt water. They require long, hot, 57 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: dry summers to develop their fruit, but you've got to 58 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: give them like a lot of water at their roots. 59 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: They can tolerate desert temperatures ranging from below freezing to 60 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,239 Speaker 1: halfway out of boiling water, like negative five to fifty 61 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: celsius that's like twenty three degrees to a hundred and 62 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: twenty two fahrenheit. Um, like they are meant for a 63 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: desert oasis, which is so specific. I love it. That 64 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: is very, very specific. It does feel like I can 65 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: see why there's so many myths and legends about them, 66 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: which we're going to get into later. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, um, 67 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: including including that genus name phoenix. Dates can be or 68 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: date palms rather, I guess, can be a little finicky 69 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: to get a crop from because they're just so shualized. Um. 70 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: You know, in addition to your heat and water requirements, 71 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: you're also dealing with the fact that the trees take 72 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: a couple of decades to reach full production capacity. Um. 73 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: They also have separate male and female trees that you 74 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: have to convince to pollinate. Um. But let's talk more 75 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: about how they grow, okay. Um. Date palms are often 76 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: propagated from offshoots of an existing tree, so that the 77 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: new tree will be genetically identical to the old one 78 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: instead of like the mixed bag that you're going to 79 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: get from planting seed. UM. Palms in general grow differently 80 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: from trees like oaks that you know will form new 81 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: layers within their trunks every year and thus have thicker 82 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: and thicker trunks the older that they get. UM. Instead, 83 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: palms push upward as they grow older and UM grow 84 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: their leaves at the top of the plant on these large, stiff, 85 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: fan shaped fronds. UM. It's called the crown because the 86 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: fronds go out in a ring that kind of looks 87 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: like a crown. Got it, Yeah, you know. Anyway, crown 88 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: can also mean the top of something in general. Also, 89 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: different different palms are gonna. You know, your mileage may vary, 90 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 1: um botany wise, but this is basically how date palms work. Okay, 91 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: So anyway, at the crown, date palms develop these huge 92 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: clusters of small flowers. UM. They first develop within these 93 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 1: hard shells that sort of crack open. When the flowers 94 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: are mature, white to yellow in color. UM. They can 95 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: be pollinated by wind or with help from people or animals, 96 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: and when they are they will develop into clusters of 97 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: fruit like these huge bunches UM. They look sort of 98 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: like like tiny bananas or like big oblong grapes. UM. 99 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: That species name Dactilifera comes from how they sort of 100 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: resemble fingers dactyle dactyl. Yeah. The fruit go from green 101 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: and plump when they're immature to kind of firm and 102 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: yellow pink red or like scarlet purple when they're mature, 103 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: but are often allowed to ripen on the tree past 104 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: that point to um to either soft and like golden 105 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: to reddish brown about water by weight, or all the 106 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: way to self preserved wrinkled and deep brown like a 107 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: like a very large raisin um, which will only be 108 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: about water by weight. And I think I've only ever 109 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: had them when they're at that final stage. Um. You 110 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: can apparently eat them when they are mature and still 111 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: brightly colored, though I've read that they're a little bit chalky. Um, 112 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. I've seen recipes for pickling fresh dates 113 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: at that stage, which I'm super interested in. Now, Oh 114 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: me too, pickled dates, right? I mean yeah, you can 115 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: also you can also pickle the preserved ones, and that 116 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: is something I am also interested in, but both both. Yes, yeah, 117 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: we're big pickling fans. Every Yes, vinegar is great. Um. 118 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: But yeah, So each fruit has a thin edible skin 119 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: it's almost like a like a crisp milty crust when 120 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,239 Speaker 1: they're dried, and then an oval of dense flesh around 121 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: a single hard, oblong seed. The tissue between the seed 122 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: and the flesh tends to go a little bit like 123 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,239 Speaker 1: papery as the fruit dries, and when dates are served, 124 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: they are sometimes pitted and then sometimes stuffed with other 125 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: things the way that you'd treat and and olive. Cheese 126 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: is really good in their or nuts, chocolate, other dried 127 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: fruit herbs of various kinds all also common. M hmm, 128 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: you just reminded me. There's a dish that I love 129 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: in Atlanta that is cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. 130 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah, bacon wrapped dates are nice. They are, 131 00:08:55,160 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: that's delicious. They are, Oh goodness. Um. Date palm trees 132 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: can grow up to like seventy five ft tall. That's 133 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: like twenty three um, and right, all the fruit grows 134 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: up at that crown of the tree, so to harvest 135 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: it you have to either climb the dang tree or 136 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: more modernly, use a lift. But hoofta indeed, yea and yeah. 137 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: Dates can be eaten like straight as a snack, or 138 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: or stuffed or wrapped with things. As an appetizer, you 139 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: can soak them in like tea or alcohol. As a treat, 140 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: you can chop them up and add them to sweet 141 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: or savory stews. Salads, baked goods, blend them up and 142 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: use them as an alternative to other sweeteners in any 143 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: dish that you like. Um. They can also be processed 144 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: into a paste or syrup or oils or vinegars or wine. 145 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: Mm hmm mm hmmm, so good. All right, Well what 146 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: about the nutrition. Uh, the more dried out they are, 147 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: the more nutritionally dense dates are. Makes sense. Yeah, Um, 148 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: they've got a punch of sugar and fiber, a little 149 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: bit of protein. Um, lots of great micronutrients in there. 150 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: They will help fill you up. Um. I'd say pair 151 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: with more protein and or fat to help keep you going. 152 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: But like, they're pretty good pick me up. Um. The 153 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: fiber in them helps you digest the sugars more slowly, 154 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: so you're less likely to spike and crash. Let's watch 155 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: your portion sizes. But yeah, m hmmmm um. They have 156 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: traditionally been used for potential medical benefits. Um, from like 157 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: brain health to healthy labor and everything in between. Um, 158 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: but you know savor savor motto. Yeah, we don't even 159 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: just say it at this point. We trust that you 160 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: know what, We trust that it's playing in your brain 161 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, or Okay, if if anyone 162 00:10:55,320 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: knew is listening, the official unofficial Saver motto is, uh, 163 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: nutrition is complicated. No, wait, hold on, what is it? Heck, 164 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: you don't even Oh my goodness, Um, bodies are complicated. 165 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: More research is necessary before consuming a medicinal amount of anything. 166 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: You should consult a doctor who is not us. Yeah, 167 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 1: there you go, eat vegetable drinks and water. Wow, I'm 168 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: glad we did that. We all apparently apparently. Um. Also, 169 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: just randomly, like I wanted to shout out a website. 170 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: The website is sorry. That url is healthline dot com, um, 171 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: which sounds like it's gonna have a billion pop ups 172 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: and like do you wrong? But it's actually a really 173 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: great resource of compiled research about the nutrition of stuff. Um. 174 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 1: And it's got some other medical medical things in there, 175 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: but I often use it when I'm putting together these 176 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: nutrition sections. Um. It just it's it's pretty great about 177 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: saying like, hey, here's what we actually know, here's what's 178 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: kind of uh culturally rumored, here's what's scientifically not proven yet, um, 179 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: and here's why, but in a pretty digestible, no pun 180 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: intended way. Well, I'm going to say pun intended, Yes, 181 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: great resources. Indeed, we do have some numbers for you. Huh. 182 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: As of seventeen ish, there were about a hundred million 183 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: date palm trees grown for their fruit around the world. 184 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: Uh huh. At least forty varieties of dates are grown commercially, 185 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: and nine million tons of dates were produced in nineteen 186 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: that's met trick tons. Hum, and this represents steady growth 187 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: of the industry. Um. It was about two million metric 188 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: tons as of nineteen sixty two and about seven million 189 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: in two thousand five, So just shooting right up. Um. 190 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: Overall in the world, Egypt grows the most, followed by Iran, Algeria, 191 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. California produces the most in 192 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: the United States, and we exported thirty nine point six 193 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: million pounds of fresh dates valued at eighty seven point 194 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: five million dollars from twenty twenty to twenty one. Arizona 195 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: also grows them. And actually I would love for listeners 196 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: to write in because I read several interesting articles about 197 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: how they sell chocolate covered dates some universities in Arizona, 198 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: like like at the University bookstore. I want to know 199 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 1: all about that. Yes, and a few other hot states 200 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: across the southern US grows them, though at a smaller scale. 201 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: In the United States, date browers double to triple their 202 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: sales during Ramanan Wow m hm. Meanwhile, the US imported 203 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: about fifty three point one million pounds of fresh dates 204 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: valued at seventy point eight million dollars same year one, 205 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: possibly more for processing than for eating fresh. Uh. We 206 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: also imported nearly a million pounds of processed dates that year. 207 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: So just lots of dates, Yeah, lots of dates indeed. 208 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: And they have had a fascinating stor Oh they have, yes, 209 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: And we are going to get into that as soon 210 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: as we get back from a quick break forward from 211 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: our sponsors and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. So. Yes. 212 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: Dates have a long history, a history that we can 213 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: trace through art, literature, carvings, coins, carvings on coins, stone panels. 214 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: Historians believe they are one of the first investigated fruit 215 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: tree crops. Uh. They most likely were domesticated in the 216 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: Persian Gulf around six thousand years ago, and then were 217 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: introduced to North Africa soon after. Further evidence just the 218 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: date was present in India around the same time, but 219 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: the fossil record indicates their ancestors go back fifty million years. 220 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. The exact origins of date agriculture have been 221 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: traced to what's now southern Iraq or western India, but 222 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: at any rate, um, it was in Egypt by like 223 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: two thousand BC. At least ancient Egyptians used date fronds 224 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: in hieroglyphs to depict a month, like a month that's 225 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: in a unit of time. Interesting oh yeah um. Dates 226 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: are also mentioned in ancient Assyrian and Babylonian tablets from 227 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: around that time, including the kind of Hamma Rabbi Uh. 228 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: Some of the laws that lays out concerned the agriculture 229 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: and the sale of dates, and the historical record tells 230 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: us that dates have yes long been used medicinally, with 231 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: upwards of three hundred and sixty five listed medicinal and 232 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: colarny uses that we know of from like around this time, 233 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: including as a stand with me now yeah, I'm sure 234 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: Andrew will make that sound like time, sure, yeah yeah um. 235 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: And also they have long been viewed as symbols of fertility. 236 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps because of this, the date has been featured on coins. 237 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: Um is the subject of many pieces of art, and 238 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: several pieces of literature have been written about it. Um, 239 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: they're our poems you can go find, you know, we 240 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: love food poems. Dates were mentioned, and not just mentioned, 241 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: but praised in the Bible, the Torah and the Koran, 242 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: and thus have a religious importance for a lot of people. 243 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: Some speculate it is the forbidden fruit mentioned in the Bible, 244 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: as opposed to the apple. They have been known as 245 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: the poor man's candy and bread of the desert. In 246 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 1: Greek mythology, the date was linked to the phoenix and 247 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 1: plenty of The elder wrote that if the phoenix made 248 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: its nest, it would do it atop a date tree. 249 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: Huh yeah, okay, So so here's here's some more etymology 250 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: for you. All right, So the word phoenix in Greek 251 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: was tied to the Phoenician civilization Um, and phoenix seems 252 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: to have been a word for both the date palm 253 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: and its fruit um, which the Greek's got from the Phoenicians. 254 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: The fruit, not the word um, and possibly phoenix was 255 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: also used as a word for certain shades of purple, 256 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: because the Greek's also got this one die color from 257 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 1: the Phoenicians, that was this color of purple um, and 258 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: also also for the mythological bird. Okay, yeah, um, but 259 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: researchers disagree about all of this and how it got 260 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 1: applied to the fruit because of like the color or 261 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 1: the origin or whatever. Anyway, did you ever, uh segway, 262 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: did you ever play file Pacy seven? No? I didn't. Actually, 263 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: this is great news for me. Even though that's a 264 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,719 Speaker 1: great game. Let's just say it's the big inspiration for 265 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: our D and D campaign. There's a summon in there 266 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: that's the Phoenix, and it's the best summon are one 267 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: of the best summons in my opinion, because it not 268 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: only does damage to the other, to the enemy, but 269 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: it brings anybody who's dead back to life in the party, 270 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,679 Speaker 1: and it heals everybody what hundred there you may or 271 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 1: may not have encountered. It's recently uh in one of 272 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: our past sessions. Yeah, okay, duly noted. They're very I 273 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: love that seven. It's a whole plat point in that game. 274 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: There's so many things that we have in the campaign 275 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: where I'm like, has anyone played this? Will they know? 276 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: I suspect that everyone but me has played it in 277 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: that campaign, So maybe don't, like yelled, I was about 278 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: to say, like Ben Dylan Joe, don't listen to this. 279 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: That's not how that would work. It's not gonna it's 280 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: definitely not gonna spoil anything. Okay. It was really more 281 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: of a like, Hi, this is a plot point that 282 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed in a sum and I really liked 283 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: this game. That's all. Oh my goodness, that's fabulous. Um Okay, 284 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: back to date the fruit though, um, uh so uh 285 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: so so just generally about their their popularity among all 286 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: of these cultures, uh, stemming from this early time. You know, 287 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: dates are calorically dense, right, um, and their branches and 288 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: fibers and timber are useful in materials construction, and they 289 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: grow in places where other stuff simply does not. A 290 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: paper that I read from two thousand seven from the 291 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: journal Hearts Science Positive. Without dates, no large human population 292 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: could have been supported in the desert regions. The caravan 293 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: roots existed for centuries mainly for the transportation of dates. Wow, 294 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: so like major food source, very important, and so of 295 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: course you know, like of course they got like culturally, 296 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: uh spun out into all of these other associations and 297 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: artworks and cultural meanings and yeah, yeah wow, that's amazing, 298 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: and yeah, throughout history, dates were favored because they had 299 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: a long shelf life and they were easily transportable through trade. 300 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 1: Dates were introduced to Europe, and records show that they 301 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: were in Spain, France, Greece and Italy quite early on. 302 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: Um they were staple in places like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, 303 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: Egypt and Iran by the eighteen hundreds and most likely 304 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: far far earlier than that. Yeah, the spread of Islam 305 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: would turn out to be particularly influential here because that 306 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: brought dates to Spain, and then the Spanish spread the 307 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: crop during colonization. Right and speaking of Spanish, Conquisadors introduced 308 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: dates to Mexico and California in the fifteen hundreds and 309 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 1: in fact, going back to dates in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, 310 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: that area um a siege during the eighteen hundreds. During 311 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: a siege in the eighteen hundreds, thousands of date trees 312 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: were destroyed in a bid to force locals to surrender, 313 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: but there were plenty of date trees left and they refused. 314 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: Twenty six new varieties of dates were introduced to Indian 315 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: Pakistan in eighteen sixty nine and seventy five at date 316 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: trees were sent to Jamaica in eighteen nine, so going 317 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: all over, going all over UH. And speaking of yes, 318 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: dates were introduced to Arizona by the eighties. The U 319 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: s d A was working around that time to find 320 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,479 Speaker 1: and introduce crops to the public, consumers and farmers and 321 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: the business sector that could become economically important, and dates 322 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: were among them. And yeah. Of note, at this time, 323 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: dates weren't really popular in the US from what I 324 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: can gather um and this resulted in a few were 325 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: a poorly thought out or flat out racist and marketing 326 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: campaigns romanticizing and reinforcing problematic stereotypes of the Middle East 327 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: that marketing campaigns in the US. However, many of these 328 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: campaigns were successful in popularizing the date. However, this wasn't 329 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: the only angle marketers, growers, and distributors took in this country. 330 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: In the town of India, California, launched their annual Date Festival, 331 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: which did include several Middle Eastern UH themed sets and events. 332 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: A fellow from this area named Floyd Shields started selling 333 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: dates in nineteen four and he got creative with marketing 334 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: as well, putting together an automated fly show called the 335 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: Romance and sex Life of the Date, which was a 336 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: very scandalous title at the time. Yeah, it was. Yeah anyway, sorry, 337 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: like I watched it and it's I'm going and flustered 338 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: thinking about it. It is very scandalous for you right now, 339 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: like is no. I was just kind of surprised, that's all. Anyway, 340 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: he really leaned into that kind of scandalous aspect. He 341 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: named two varieties of dates, blonde and brunette, and in 342 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty six he debuted date crystals, which easily dissolved 343 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,719 Speaker 1: into liquids and helps lead to a very popular drink 344 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: that I had never heard of. Okay, yes, let's get 345 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: into this. Sure. During prohibition, a non alcoholic drink called 346 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: the date milkshake took off in Coachella Valley, and this 347 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: was a really popular concoction of milk, ice cream and 348 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: local sweet dates. The U. S d A determined that 349 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: the region was ideal for growing the date tree in 350 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: d um which, by the way, there's a lot of 351 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: really fun kind of rabbit holes in this one. This 352 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: is a fascinating story. Apparently was introduced by a so 353 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: called agricultural explorer um and you can there's I think 354 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: there's a book about it, and I read some excerts 355 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: and it's like involves shootout, some illness and like all 356 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: these things to get this street into California. So I 357 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: been looking it up. Yeah yes, um. But most sources 358 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,680 Speaker 1: suggest that the date milkshake was first served in nine 359 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: and from what I understand, I'm sure many of you 360 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: listeners will confirm, and I'm very eagerly awaiting it. You 361 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: can still find it on a lot of menus and 362 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: all kinds of places in that area. Um. And it's 363 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 1: often described as I must have for tourists who are 364 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: visiting during peak times. Some places tell about five hundred 365 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: of these shakes a day. Uh yeah um. And interestingly, 366 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: experts say that we can trace every Madule date grown 367 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: in the US to one oasis in Morocco. Okay, yeah, yeah, 368 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: yeah yeah. Dates might have experienced a bump with sugar 369 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: rashing during the World Wars. Uh. And then in nineteen 370 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 1: seventy one, archaeologists discovered an ancient Egyptian artifact composed of 371 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: plated date palm leaves over two thousand years old at least. 372 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 1: This was a significant fine for a lot of reasons. 373 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: One of the big ones is that it allowed for 374 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: scientists to later sequence the DNA of the date they discovered. 375 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: This ancient date is very genetically similar to the modern 376 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: day North African variety of date. Oh gosh, it was 377 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: so fascinating. There's so many fascinating reads with this one. Yeah, yeah, 378 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 1: mm hmmm. Saudi Arabia is producing half a million tons 379 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: of dates in nineteen eighty due to several subsidies, technologies, 380 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: and a decree that dates be served as part of 381 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: meals for the government and civic institutions. And in my 382 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,239 Speaker 1: personal experience, which is I found some stuff backing it up, 383 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: but this was sort of me anecdotally remembering. I feel 384 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: like dates got a boost here in the US anyway, 385 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: with health trends um in the nineties and the two thousands. Yeah. Um, 386 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: one brand pivoted to focus on the health aspect in 387 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: their sales, had doubled one brand selling dates, and they 388 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: really leaned into that health part. And I just remember 389 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: them kind of suddenly in my view, other than my 390 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: friend Rizzo, who was always like rates, I thought, I 391 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: remember them appearing in like a lot of smoothie places, 392 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: like they were like, we sweeten it with dates, right, sure, Yeah, yeah, 393 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: or a lot of baked goods or something like that. 394 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: We're like, oh, yeah, we use dates instead of traditional sugars. Yeah, rights, right, 395 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: right right. Um. Recent droughts in California have had a 396 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: significant impact on California's date production. And then a very 397 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: another very interesting story in the two thousand's, ancient Judean 398 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: date seeds were treated from an archaeological dig sprouted after 399 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: much care and just yeah, a really fascinating journey spanning 400 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: to millennia, like it's it's so good. Um, it's such 401 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: a um. Basically, someone named Dr Salon made it her 402 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: mission to grow older date seeds, and her first array 403 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 1: started the seeds from the nineteen sixties that did sprout, 404 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: and she named the first plant Methuselah, but alas it 405 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: was a male plant, which isn't great by itself. Um. 406 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: And then several more discoveries paved the way for this 407 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: newest one to sprout that made the news recently, and 408 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: it's one of the oldest known seeds to have ever sprouted. 409 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: Yeah okay, So so the first like like two millennia 410 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: old date seed that they got to sprout was in 411 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: two thou eight. UM. It was called Methuselah, and six 412 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: more successful germinations of ancient seeds followed. So that's seven 413 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: total plants out of thirty five that they tried with, 414 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool. Um. The other six were named Hannah, Adam, Judith, Buzz, Dona, 415 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: and Auriel. Um and Methuselah. The oldest Write might have 416 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: been grown um like as a seed, like the tree 417 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 1: that it came from might have grown it as early 418 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: as three BC. Um. The the youngest Uriel might have 419 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: been grown in CE. And so they got these, they 420 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: got these seeds to german eate, and then they set 421 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: about mapping the genomes of these new ancient trees, which 422 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: is super exciting because you know, like although prior work 423 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: like with that with that braided palm frond, Matt, Yeah, 424 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: prior work looking at the genetics of ancient palms was 425 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: relying on cellular material that's thousands of years old, you know, 426 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: like it's seen better days, right, Um, But these new 427 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: samples are fresh and Yeah. So basically they they took 428 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: all of these and mapped the genomes and they all 429 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: genetically resemble modern date palms, meaning that the trees the 430 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: people the people were cultivating back then we're successful, like 431 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: they had already figured them out and humans have kept 432 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: them through to today. Um. Yeah. There's also some like 433 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: specific stuff that you learned about interactions with wild species 434 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: over the years and uh production of of color and 435 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: sugar and micronutrients. Um. Kind of beyond the scope of 436 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: the show, but really cool, just so neat. Yeah yeah, 437 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: and I highly recommend if you're the least bit interested 438 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: ing it up, because it has a lovely kind of 439 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: you can feel the passion of the people in pursuing 440 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: this the names. I remember the doctor Salon wanted to 441 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: Methuselah to be a father like um and I believe 442 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: they tried some of the dates and they were good. 443 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: Oh I didn't read about that part. Oh that's so 444 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 1: cool though. I'm pretty sure because the doctor was like, 445 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: what if it would have been terrible if they tasted badly, 446 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: wouldn't sure, Yeah, it would have been terrible. But you know, 447 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: it's amazing all of these fines with dates um in 448 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: this history of how important they've been. Uh. I love it. 449 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Really this was a really this 450 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: this this episode really hit all of my like categories 451 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: of weird stories that I love to look into and tell. 452 00:31:55,640 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: So yes, the date, well, I think that's what we 453 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: have to say about it for now. It is. We 454 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: do have some listener mail for you, and we will 455 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: get into that as soon as we get back from 456 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: one more quick break for a word from our sponsors, 457 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, and 458 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:33,239 Speaker 1: we're back with listener go on a good date. I 459 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: don't know, okay, yeah, yeah, uh, I did want to 460 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: start with I did want to start this one with 461 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: some housekeeping, just briefly, because some of you listeners do 462 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: send us packages, which we very much appreciate. Never an obligation, 463 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: but we do appreciate it. We're actually our office is 464 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: moving within the coming month. Yeah. Yeah. End of May 465 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,719 Speaker 1: is the end of our tenure at Pond City Market 466 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: and we are moving to a new building. And uh, 467 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: I don't know our address yet. I'm sure, I'm sure 468 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 1: it exists. Um, if you if you write to us 469 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 1: as always, UM, we can find it and give it 470 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: to you. Yes, um. But I'm I'm not totally positive 471 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: when we will be able to receive mail there. Um, 472 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 1: but we can check with our staff. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, 473 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: I did because it's kind of been on our radar 474 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: for a minute now, and only last night did I 475 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: actually locate where it's uh yeah. It was also only 476 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: like four days ago that we got the notice that 477 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: like the end of May is when we no longer 478 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: have access to that office. So um, so yeah, we'll 479 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: just you know, if you happen to have something physical 480 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: that you would like to send us in the physical mail, 481 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: as always, reach out and we'll figure out something. Yes, 482 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: we will figure it out. Just wanted to put a 483 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:11,800 Speaker 1: little note up there. Um that sounded like a panicked Um, 484 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: I am a little panicked about packing out my dad. 485 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: Me too, me too. I've got heck, I've I've got 486 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 1: like ten years worth of office crap there. I'm I'm 487 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,800 Speaker 1: like the bottom drawer of my desk is just snacks 488 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 1: and it's got to go, and I hate throwing my food. Yeah, well, alright, Okay, 489 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,799 Speaker 1: it's gonna it's gonna be okay, Annie, thank you, I'm 490 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:47,240 Speaker 1: going to get through this. We are we are okay, 491 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 1: and wrote I've listened to your podcast since the early 492 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: days of food Stuff, but never wrote in until now, 493 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 1: because your current episode brought back lots of childhood memories. 494 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: I grew up in the countryside in Finland, and currents 495 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: of both red and black as well as gooseberries are everywhere. Literally, 496 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 1: I think everyone's garden had at least a couple of 497 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 1: bushes so that they can make some juice or jam 498 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: for their family. My grandparents had a big house with 499 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 1: a huge garden and lots of currant bushes. I have 500 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: lovely memories of picking the berries with my grandparents every 501 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: year towards the end of the summer. Until I was 502 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: a young adult. My grandfather would tell me off for 503 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: being too slow because I spent more time trying to 504 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: avoid spiders and other crawley's that live among the currents 505 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 1: and actually collecting berries. My grandmother would make juice concentrate 506 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:41,360 Speaker 1: of black currents by using a traditional steam and juicer, 507 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: which I've never heard of outside of Finland, so not 508 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: sure other countries use them. We would have some juice 509 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: immediately and freeze some for the year to come as well. 510 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 1: This juice concentrate would essentially be a really thick, strong 511 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:57,320 Speaker 1: flavored liquid that we would then mix with water to drink. 512 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: It would have some sugar, but not be overly sweet, 513 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,959 Speaker 1: so I don't think it was unhealthy. Currents have lots 514 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 1: of vitamin C, so this would be drink, especially in winter, 515 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: to fight off cold and flu. As children, when we 516 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: were sick, my mother would mix a little bit of 517 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: my grandmother's current juice with hot water and the result 518 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 1: would be a warm, comforting drink that would always make 519 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 1: you feel better. We would be off school, watching cartoons 520 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: all day and drinking several crops of this miracle beverage, 521 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: and I swear it healed every sore throat and running nose. 522 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: I now live in the UK and really miss having 523 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: this homemade current remedy. The current drinks here are overly 524 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 1: sweet and definitely more of a treat than medicine. I 525 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,720 Speaker 1: hope that one day I'll manage to locate a similar 526 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: drink to my grandmother's, or perhaps I will get a 527 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: steam juicer and make my own. If I do, I'll 528 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: send you guys a photo. Yes, yes, I personally have 529 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: never heard of a steam juicer. I'm curious. I know, 530 00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: I'm like, maybe we should do an episode. All that, 531 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: all right, Yeah, but I love this. I love these 532 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 1: memories of picking the fresh currents and making the juice 533 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,720 Speaker 1: and freezing it and having it when you were feeling ill. Yeah, 534 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: all the nostalgia for that kind of thing is is 535 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: so so strong and so wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. I used 536 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 1: to have BlackBerry and blueberry bushes at my house, and 537 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,359 Speaker 1: I just remember having such a good time picking those 538 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: berries and making things with them. M hm uh. Judy wrote, 539 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 1: I just finished listening to the episode on Easter lamb 540 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,279 Speaker 1: cakes and had to tell you about my family's traditions. 541 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: My mother in law had always made a lamb cake 542 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 1: for Easter, so when my son celebrated his first birthday 543 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: during Holy Week, we naturally celebrated it on Easter, complete 544 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: with the lamb cake. We grown ups always had a 545 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: great debate on whether you slice it starting at the 546 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: head or the butt, and we sometimes thought it would 547 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: be very funny if we decapitated it and gave my 548 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: on the head. As you will see, this family has 549 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 1: a very dark sense of humor. He promptly picked it 550 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: up by the ears and stuck the entire lamb nose 551 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: in his mouth. He was very confused by the hysterical 552 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: laughter coming from the adults at the table. Since then, 553 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: we have made him a lamb cake for every birthday. 554 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: It's always near Easter. Anyway, when my mother in law 555 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:23,720 Speaker 1: passed away, my daughter took over the pan and began 556 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,320 Speaker 1: making the cake. It went from vanilla to chocolate and then, 557 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: inspired by the steel Magnolia's groom cake, my kids thought 558 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:32,120 Speaker 1: it would be funny to make it out of red 559 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:36,359 Speaker 1: velvet cake. We now comment on how disgustingly like road 560 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,839 Speaker 1: kill it looks as we consume it. My son still 561 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,319 Speaker 1: gets the head and we argue over who will get 562 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: the butt. This year it was his twelve year old daughter. 563 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: That's fantastic of all. Oh my heck, that is so delightful. 564 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: I um, I I will say that when I was 565 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,319 Speaker 1: doing the reading for that episode, like nothing made me 566 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: happier than all of the blog posts about like people 567 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: who make red velvet cake lamp cakes because they think 568 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: it's funny. Yeah, it's pretty spectacular. Um, and this this 569 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,480 Speaker 1: is humor right up our alley. We got a pretty 570 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:26,160 Speaker 1: big chuckle out of it. Yeah. Yeah, I just love it. 571 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: I love every part of it. It's such an interesting tradition. 572 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:35,919 Speaker 1: I love it. No, that's wondering and multigenerational. Oh that's 573 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: so wonderful. That's that's just that is just nice. I mean, 574 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: very very dark ye all twisted, but like that's that's 575 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: really nice. Yeah, agreed, agreed. Well, thanks to both of 576 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: those listeners for writing. If you would like to write 577 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: to us, that you can. Our email is hello at 578 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: saber pod dot com. We're also on social media. You 579 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at saber 580 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,760 Speaker 1: pod and we do hope to hear from you. Savor 581 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:04,360 Speaker 1: is production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from my 582 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, you can visit the i heart Radio app, 583 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 584 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagin and 585 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,879 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 586 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 1: that lots more good things are coming your way