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Medjool

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Medjool
GenusPhoenix
SpeciesPhoenix dactylifera
OriginTafilalt,Morocco

TheMedjool date(Arabic:تمر المجهول-tamar al-majhūl.Tamar means 'date' and majhūl means 'unknown', fromجَهِلَjahila,'to not know')[1][2]also known asMedjoul,MejhoulorMajhool,is a large, sweetcultivated varietyofdate(Phoenix dactylifera). It is an important commercial variety constituting some 25% of worldwide trade in dates.

Landrace

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See also:List of date cultivars

The Medjool cultivar originates from theTafilaltregion ofMorocco,where it is still grown.[3]Outside Morocco, it is grown in the United States,[4]Israel,[5]Palestine,[6]Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Jordan. The variety is planted both for its fruit and for landscaping.[7][8]

The medjool is a distinctlandrace,described as producing "large soft fruit, with orange-yellowish flesh, and a mildly rich and pleasing flavor".[9]Being large, soft, and with a "caramel, honey" flavor, the variety has been called "the king of dates".[10]

Biochemistry

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Medjool dates are high inoxalates(18–233 mg/100 g dry weight).[11]

Out of the over 3000 cultivated varieties, only two contain thedisaccharidesugarsucrose:Deglet Nour and Medjool. All the rest contain themonosaccharidesglucose and fructose, known as invert sugar,[12]as they are the two components of sucrose. Sucrose tastes sweeter than glucose but less sweet than fructose.[13]

Trade

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Large Medjool dates are sold as a luxury product.[12]

In 2013, Israel held more than 60 percent of the global mejhoul market share.[14]In 2024, Medjool constitutes 25% of the world export market for dates.[12]Those supplied to France, the largest European importer of dates, are predominantly from Algeria and Tunisia. Retail brands in both France and Italy often label the cultivar, usually Medjool orDeglet Nour,on the packet.[12]Especially large Medjool dates are sold as a luxury product, for example in the Netherlands. A UKsocial enterprise,Zaytoun, sells Medjool dates from Palestine.[12]

References

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  1. ^Zaid, Abdelouahhab, ed. (2002).Date Palm Cultivation.Vol. 156. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.ISBN9789251048634.Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023.RetrievedMarch 25,2023.
  2. ^"A Brief History on the Origin of Medjool Dates".Archivedfrom the original on 2023-03-24.Retrieved2023-03-24.
  3. ^Onstad, D. (2004).Whole foods companion: a guide for adventurous cooks, curious shoppers, and lovers of natural foods.A Politics of the Living Book Series. Chelsea Green Publishers. p. 46.ISBN978-1-931498-68-5.Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 26,2018.
  4. ^Hodel, D.R.; Johnson, D.V. (2007).Imported and American Varieties of Dates (Phoenix dactylifera) in the United States.Publication (University of California (System). Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources)). University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. p. 10.ISBN978-1-879906-78-5.Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 26,2018.
  5. ^Al-Khayri, Jameel M.; Jain, S. Mohan; Johnson, Dennis Victor, eds. (2015).Date palm genetic resources and utilization. Volume 2, Asia and Europe.Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. pp. 423–440.ISBN978-94-017-9707-8.OCLC905543989.
  6. ^Shaher M. El-Ashry, Basem Natsheh, and Mohamed S. Jaradat (2015)."Date Palm Status and Perspective in Palestine".ResearchGate.Retrieved2023-05-30.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^Russo, Susan (17 October 2007)."Medjool: A Date to Remember".NPR.Archivedfrom the original on 31 March 2015.Retrieved25 January2018.
  8. ^"Medjool Date Palm".Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2018.Retrieved25 January2018.
  9. ^Elhoumaizi, Mohammed Aziz; et al. (2006)."Confirmation of 'Medjool' Date as a Landrace Variety through Genetic Analysis of 'Medjool' Accessions in Morocco"(PDF).Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science.131(3): 403–407.doi:10.21273/JASHS.131.3.403.S2CID85976366.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2018-12-22.Retrieved2018-01-25.
  10. ^"Medjool Dates".The Medjool Date Co.Retrieved5 June2024.
  11. ^Al-Zahrani, Khaled S.; Faqeeh, Akram A.; Abdulghani, Zuhair R.; Thomas, Selvin P. (2022). "A review on the physicochemical properties and utilization of date seeds in value-added engineering products".Polymer Bulletin.79(12).Springer Science and Business Media LLC:10433–10490.doi:10.1007/s00289-021-04048-3.ISSN0170-0839.S2CID245883533.This review cites this research.Alahyane, A.; Harrak, H.; Elateri, I; Ayour, J.; Ait-Oubahou, A.; Benichou, M.; et al. (2021)."Evaluation of some nutritional quality criteria of seventeen Moroccan dates varieties and clones, fruits of date palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) ".Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology.82:e236471.doi:10.1590/1519-6984.236471.PMID34105667.
  12. ^abcde"The European market potential for dates".European Union. 30 January 2024.Retrieved5 June2024.
  13. ^Helstad, Scott (2019). "Corn Sweeteners".Corn.Elsevier. pp. 551–591.doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-811971-6.00020-6.ISBN978-0-12-811971-6.
  14. ^"Medjool Dates From Israel Wastewater Proving Favorite of Foodies".Bloomberg.20 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2021.Retrieved20 February2021.
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