What is the difference between Mazafati, Piarom, Rabbi, Sayer and Zahedi Dates?

Dates are as old as mankind’s history. Dates have been a staple for thousands of years in the Middle East and are regarded as “a tree of life.” It is believed that dates have originated throughout the Middle East and the Persian Gulf and they were produced in ancient Mesopotamia, possibly as early as 6,000 BC, in prehistoric Egypt. About 400 date varieties are grown in Iran, but few are commercially significant.

In this article, we are going to share the difference between a few varieties of dates with you. You can find out more about dates in our other articles on different types of Dates, Everything about Dates, How to Choose the Perfect Date (fruit).

 

So, what do we have here?

• What are dates?

• What do dates taste like?

• Fresh dates and dried dates

• The moisture content of different varieties

• Different types of dates

• Mazafati Dates

• Piarom Dates

• Rabbi Dates

• Sayer Dates

• Zahedi Dates

What are dates?

Dates are the tropical stone-fruits grown on the date palm (phoenix datylifera) with origins going back more than 5,000 years ago to the Persian Gulf area of the Middle East.  The fruits ripen in large clusters, morphing in color, texture, and flavor while on the tree, from light green, crunchy, and astringent to soft, chewy, and delicious, in varying tones of brown. Some types are usually drier or smaller; others darken nearly to black.

You can say that ripening happens in 4 stages: unripe, crunchy, semi-dry or soft, and sun-dried. They usually keep hanging on the tree until they fully ripen, but they are usually harvested earlier for a more controlled drying process. Although date fruits are dried, they are not fully dehydrated like dried apricots or cranberries you see in the store. They still contain some moisture, which is why you need to keep them in cool places.

 

What do dates taste like?

Dried dates are wrinkled outside, but sweet, delicious and sticky inside. They have a rich intensive caramel taste, so much that you can’t believe you are eating fruit. Much more like a chocolate, with notes of cinnamon, butterscotch, and toffee.

Some describe the taste and texture of a date as a chewier, more caramelly raisin. Others might say they taste like a cross between a prune and a fig with traits of chocolate and cinnamon.

Learn More About What are dates and what do they taste like?

 

Fresh Dates and Dried Dates

Dates in the arid desert usually have the lowest humidity. While most fruits range in humidity from 75% to 95%, whole fresh dates are less than 30% humid, making them the only dried fruit in nature.

A special climate is necessary for cultivating the date palm as local ones say: “Date palm needs its feet in the water and its head in the sky’s fire.” There are more than 200 varieties of dates with different shapes and flavors, but all of them are the same in nutrition.

Learn More About Fresh Dates vs. Dried Dates

In this article, we are going to show you some of these different types of dates that you can find.

Date classification by type:

• Dried date: refers to a rip date with less than 15% moisture on
• Semi-dried date: it refers to a ripened date with humidity between 15% and 18%
• Fresh date: it refers to a ripened date with humidity between 18% and 35%.

Classification	Type	% Moisture Content (fresh weight)
Fresh Dates	Mazafati Dates	37.3
Fresh Dates	Mazafati Dates	24.4
Semi-dried Dates	Sayer Dates	24.1
Semi-dried Dates	Piarom Dates	22.2
Semi-dried Dates	Rabbi Dates	13.6
Dried Dates	Zahedi Dates	15.5

Each date cultivar is provided with a specific moisture rate. The main types that are produced in Iran are Mazafati, Piarom, Sayer, Rabbi, and Zahedi.

Fresh and dry dates are different in many things, such as Shelf-Life, Calories, Nutrients, Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and Fiber Content. Read on to find out more about the differences between these main types.

5 Different Types of Dates

Dates are one of the most delicious natural candied in the world. There are so many different varieties of dates out there that make it hard to choose, but five of them are much more popular than the other ones. Have you ever wondered about the difference between these types of Dates? We are just going to tell you now.

These five popular date types are:

• Mazafati Dates

• Piarom Dates

• Sayer Dates

• Rabbi Dates

• Zahedi Dates

 

Are you ready now? Let’s jump right into the world of delicious dates:

Mazafati Dates

Mazafati dates are one of Muslims ‘ delicious and tasty soft dates. Known also as Rutab, many countries have also recently become interested in this kind of date. It needs to be kept in cool air conditioning stores because it has the highest moisture content between other forms of dates.

 

Nutrition Facts

Dates, Mazafati
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	1,105 kJ (264 kcal)
Carbohydrates	51 g
Sugars	46 g
Dietary fiber	26 g
Fat	5.6 g
Protein	1.61 g
Minerals	Quantity%DV†
Calcium	0.22
	28-60 mg
Iron	0.2
	2.6 mg
Phosphorus	0.07
	50 mg
Sodium	0.01
	16 mg

Taste and texture: with 15% to 35% moisture with a natural soft taste of caramel and chocolate with traits of brown sugar.

Color and size: they have an attractive soft and fleshy appearance with a dark brown color. The size of these dates is usually between 2.5 to 4 cm with thick flesh.

Applications: Mazafati dates are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and potassium. You can eat them right out of your hand as a snack or pit and stuff them with cheese or whatever you desire.

Shelf life: 24 months, Keep in cold and dry place, away from direct sunlight

Origins: these dates are originated from Bam, a city in Kerman, Iran.

 

 Piarom Dates

This kind of date is one of the world’s most delicious semi-dried dates. It is long with a thin, yellowish and brown texture and usually with a thin peel. This type is one of the late-maturing dates. Piarom dates have a high nutritional value, are rich in Carbohydrates, Protein, and other Minerals. Piarom dates have a type of sugar that is appropriate for people with diabetes.

 

Nutrition Facts

Dates, Piarom
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	300 cal
Carbohydrates	51 g
Sugars	46 g
Dietary fiber	26 g
Fat	5.6 g
Protein	1.61 g
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	0.22
	28-60 mg
Iron	0.2
	2.6 mg
Phosphorus	0.07
	50 mg
Sodium	0.01
	16 mg

Taste and texture: Piarom dates have a dark thin skin that is fully attached to its flesh. They have a unique sweet taste with traits of toffee and caramel.

Color and size: they are semi-dry, long, thin and oval in shape with dark brown to black skin and 2 to 5 cm in size.

Applications: due to their level of fructose, they are suitable for people with diabetes and blood pressure. You can stuff the pitted ones with nuts to create a delicate snack for your cozy evenings.

Shelf life: 2 years, Keep in cold and dry place, away from direct sunlight

Origins: they are cultivated throughout the Persian Gulf and Middle East in ancient Mesopotamia 6,000 BC. Piarom is one of the dates that are growing in southern Iran (one of the 31 Iranian provinces), Hajiabad town of Hormozgan. The city is situated about 100 kilometers north of the city of Bandar Abbas (the Capital of the Province of Hormozgan).

 

Sayer Dates

Sayer Dates representing approximately 65 percent of Iranian date are the most common dates in Khuzestán, which are primarily used for exports or on foreign markets. The date is well known in several countries, in particular in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, for its high quality and good characteristics.

 

Nutrition Facts

Dates, Sayer
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	300 cal
Carbohydrates	78 g
Sugars	68 g
Dietary fiber	12 g
Fat	0 g
Protein	1 g
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	0.22
	28-60 mg
Iron	0.2
	2.6 mg
Phosphorus	0.07
	50 mg
Sodium	0.01
	16 mg

Taste and texture: they are semi-dry dates with a unique soft texture and a sweet flavor.

Color and size: Sayer dates are long and oval and about 2.5 to 4 cm in size, they start off yellow in color and turn amber to reddish and dark brown as they ripen.

Applications: they are great for having a snack straight out of the pocket, you can also use them in both sweet and savory dishes.

Shelf life: Sayer Date is semi-dried and can be kept at normal room temperature. Iranian Sayer Date packing is carried out with modern technology and equipment, expert knowledge and observing health tips, which would be maintained for 18-12 months under interim fumigation.

Origins: Sayer dates are originated from the Middle East and lands around the Persian Gulf.

Rabbi Dates

Rabbi Date is a semi-dry date in relative sizes, beautiful black, and soft texture. Rabbi Date is one of Sistan and Baluchestan province’s most important products. The Rabbi date has the most economic value in Iran. Iranshahr and Zabol (Cities in south Iran) have great rabbi dates, and their quality is good in Chabahar and Saravan!

 

Nutrition Facts

Dates, Rabbi
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	289 cal
Carbohydrates	74 g
Sugars	64 g
Dietary fiber	10 g
Fat	0 g
Protein	1 g
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	0.22
	28-60 mg
Iron	0.2
	2.6 mg
Phosphorus	0.07
	50 mg
Sodium	0.01
	16 mg

 

Taste and texture: Rabbi dates have thin, meaty skin that clings to the flesh with a soft texture and have the best taste of dates, they are sweet, fleshy and soft. With 3 to 5 cm in size.

Color and size: they are long, oval, semi-dry dates with an attractive reddish black color, their size is available from 3 to 5 cm.

Applications: you can use them directly as a snack, or stuff or chop them to use in cereals, puddings, breads, cakes, ice creams, and candy bars.

Shelf life: Rabbi Date is semi-dried and can be kept at normal room temperature. The shelf life of Iran’s Rabbis Date fruit is about 12 months. The packaging process is performed by advanced technology and equipped machinery expertise and observation of health tips that would finally remain in equipped cold warehouses in the four seasons of the year.

Origins: Rabbi date is one of the oldest and most delicious dates that is cultivated in Iranshahr, Zabul, Chabahar and other cities in Sistan Baluchistan, Iran.

Zahedi Dates

Zahedi is a major dried date species with an enormous yearly yield. The date can be seen as the most common type of date fruit in Iran and can be cultivated in most of Iran’s tropical cities. The biggest part of this product is consumed in domestic markets, but due to high-quality production growth over the last years, this product has been exported.

Taste and texture: they have a rich nutty flavor which is often reminiscent of peanut butter with a slight taste that brings dried apricots to mind.

Color and size: Zahedi dates are medium-sized and oval in shape. They have light brown skin and a thick, golden inner meat that encloses a single seed.

Applications: the firm chewy texture of the Zahidi makes it a perfect baking date for recipes that call for date pieces. Complimentary flavors include chocolate, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cream, butter, coconut, orange, ginger, rosemary, dark rum, brandy, nuts, fresh cheeses, poultry, pork, and bacon.

Shelf Life: Zahedi Date is a dried date fruit which can be preserved in standard room temperature for around 18 months – 2 years with intermittent fumigation.

Origins: Zahedi means “of a small quantity” or “nobility,” and was cultivated around the 1900s in northern Iraq.

 

That’s it, guys.

Hope you liked this article. You can take another brief look at their different characteristics to find the most suitable date for your application.

After all, dates are the sweet drops of heaven and can be a great deal for your health improvement.