Smaller and darker than their Medjoul cousins, Deglet Noor (or Nour) have a nutty flavour similar to cashew and browned butter. Their relatively modest sweetness makes them perfect as a natural sugar substitute in cakes, bakes and breads. And they can be easily chopped and diced without becoming too soft due to their drier nature, so work well chopped up in salads and in Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. They are also a rich source of fibre, potassium and magnesium.

Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits. Fossils have shown that they may even trace back to 50 million years ago. Ours don’t!