Palm trees are one of my favourite trees. Looking at one somehow relaxes me. It's probably because they conjure up memories of being in distant and far away places. It's sad that the only location you will come across a palm tree, in Canada, is at a mall.
These trees have provided a food source for a great amount of people across many generations. Some of the products produced by different varieties of palm trees include:
- fresh and dried coconut meat (from mature coconuts)
- coconut milk/cream
- coconut jelly (from young coconuts)
- coconut water
- coconut oil
- palm shoots
- palm oil
- palm seed oil
- alcohols from palm products
- fresh dates
- dried dates
When referring to dried dates, many people think of flavours similar to sawdust, chalk and cardboard.
Let me introduce to you medjool dates.
These little gems are moist and extremely flavourful. Medjool dates are so moist, I would almost call them juicy. This fruit would be described as large, succulent and sweet. They have the consistency of fresh fudge and remind me of chocolate.
Medjool dates are a great source of dietary fiber and natural sugars. They are readily available in most supermarkets. Try them in the following ways:
- an addition to breakfast, a snack or dessert
- slice and put them in your cereal or porridge/oatmeal
- stuff with chorizo sausage and serve as an appetizer
- chop and place over fresh ricotta as a sweet snack (honestly, this tastes like cheesecake)
- use them as a topping for yoghurt or ice cream
- add them to cakes, muffins, or banana bread
There are plenty of palm trees in Canada...you must not be looking very hard! Yes they are cold hardy, in fact some grow better in the cold (windmill and palmeto palms). We just spent the afternoon sitting under on at Port Dover on Lake Erie.
ReplyDeleteHi Lou, Thanks for the great comment. You have made me very happy about the palm trees. I have only seen the season ones in pots. All the best!
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