Date Syrup- Uses?

[Naftal]

Hello- Recently, date syrup has become my sweetener of choice. However I know nothing about the specifics of its use: How do I convert a recipe that calls for white sugar? Can I use it in the same proportions that I use honey? What types of items-other than sweets are made with it? Any other insights you may wish to share are also welcome. 

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[Hassouni]

Date syrup is a signature staple of the Iraqi kitchen, so much so that every jar I've ever seen of it is labelled Iraqi Date Syrup, or Basra Date Syrup. It really isn't used as a replacement for sugar or honey at all. As you've surely noticed, the taste is radically different. Three very common uses for it off the top of my head:

• Mixed with tahina (or in iraqi dialect: rashi) to make a well-known sweet dip called dibis w rashi
• Drizzled atop gaymar (clotted cream made from buffalo milk, similar to the levantine 'ashta or turkish kaymak, but thicker) as a sweet breakfast item
• Mixed into plain yogurt to sweeten it

On that subject, I'm trying to devise a cocktail recipe using it....

[Lisa Shock]

Looks like there are big variations in the composition based upon what type of dates were used. Most of the literature I am seeing says it's a mix of glucose and fructose with a significant amount of pectin.

[Hassouni]

I dunno what date syrup you're looking at, but my jar says 100% concentrated natural dates. It doesn't say what sort of dates, or what sort of sugar was in them. I will say though that anything labelled as Iraqi date syrup will be more or less the same.

 

 

ETA: Delights from the Garden of Eden mentions two ways it's made: either by being pressed (like olive oil, I guess), or by being boiled until the dates disintegrate, and the water then evaporated out. 

Edited February 9, 2015 by Hassouni (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I was referring to the composition of the sugars naturally in the dates. I found several scientific papers where they ran chemical analyses on the syrup. They noted that different types of date plant produced fruit with differing ratios of glucose to fructose, so it was difficult to list exact percentages that would consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer.

[Naftal]

Date syrup is a signature staple of the Iraqi kitchen, so much so that every jar I've ever seen of it is labelled Iraqi Date Syrup, or Basra Date Syrup. It really isn't used as a replacement for sugar or honey at all. As you've surely noticed, the taste is radically different. Three very common uses for it off the top of my head:

• Mixed with tahina (or in iraqi dialect: rashi) to make a well-known sweet dip called dibis w rashi
• Drizzled atop gaymar (clotted cream made from buffalo milk, similar to the levantine 'ashta or turkish kaymak, but thicker) as a sweet breakfast item
• Mixed into plain yogurt to sweeten it

On that subject, I'm trying to devise a cocktail recipe using it....

I am eager to try these.

[Hassouni]

If only I knew where to get real buffalo gaimar....but you're close to Dearborn so it can't be that hard...

 

 

PS dibis w rashi should be eaten with fresh khubuz tannour, or thin bread from the tandoor, basically the same as persian taftoon bread.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Hassouni (log)

[Naftal]

If only I knew where to get real buffalo gaimar....but you're close to Dearborn so it can't be that hard...

 

 

PS dibis w rashi should be eaten with fresh khubuz tannour, or thin bread from the tandoor, basically the same as persian taftoon bread.

Hassouni- Would this bread be similar to the stuff I know as lavash? or really, really, really flat pita?

Edited February 10, 2015 by Naftal (log)

[Anna N]

More uses for date syrup:

http://www.thekitchn.com/alternative-sweetener-date-syrup-ingredient-spotlight-190303

And if you follow the link within the link to The Date Lady you will find even more.

I am glad this question arose as I have some left over from a recipe which called for only a couple of tablespoons.

[Hassouni]

Hassouni- Would this bread be similar to the stuff I know as lavash? or really, really, really flat pita?

 

No, it's similar to Pakistani-style naan, circular, and not made with milk or yogurt or anything, just flour and water and yeast. It is NOT the same as North Indian naan, in terms of shape, texture, or taste. Lavash is quite different too.

[Naftal]

More uses for date syrup:

http://www.thekitchn.com/alternative-sweetener-date-syrup-ingredient-spotlight-190303

And if you follow the link within the link to The Date Lady you will find even more.

I am glad this question arose as I have some left over from a recipe which called for only a couple of tablespoons.

These are amazing recipes. Thank you for sharing them!

[Nicolai]

Date syrup is a signature staple of the Iraqi kitchen, so much so that every jar I've ever seen of it is labelled Iraqi Date Syrup, or Basra Date Syrup. It really isn't used as a replacement for sugar or honey at all. As you've surely noticed, the taste is radically different. Three very common uses for it off the top of my head:

• Mixed with tahina (or in iraqi dialect: rashi) to make a well-known sweet dip called dibis w rashi
• Drizzled atop gaymar (clotted cream made from buffalo milk, similar to the levantine 'ashta or turkish kaymak, but thicker) as a sweet breakfast item
• Mixed into plain yogurt to sweeten it

On that subject, I'm trying to devise a cocktail recipe using it....

 

Date Syrup or more correctly Dates Molasses is not only the staple of the Iraqi kitchen but the staple of each and every Arabic country, some African countries and all the area.

 

From Lebanon to Dubai, from Jeddah to Khartoum and from Selalah to Cairo, Dates are eaten from raw to ripe and cooked in tens of recipes.

 

Dates in all their iterations are not unique to Iraq but to all the area including Dibs wa Thineh!

 

Now you wish to talk about Men wa Salwah and you wish to talk about Kebbet Moussel or Masgouf and other pure Iraqi great dishes then indeed they are particular to Iraq.

 

While I do enjoy lot of Dates, but unfortunately I cut down on Dibs wa Thineh.......however I make up on Masgouf and probably Masgouf deserves it's own thread.

 

This is one of many lunches and you can see two Masgoufs on the table. The dish in the foreground was made specially for me and it is Bamieh wa Maosat which you eat with the rice (my plate left). If you look closely, you will spot the famous Iraqi bread and another Iraqi delicacy in the plastic tub next to the Moutain Dew soda......I will help you, it is a type of Pickles. As you are from Iraqi origin , you should be able to guess what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

[cakewalk]

Very interesting. I recently bought grape molasses (haven't used it yet), I'm assuming it is used similarly to the date molasses? I have seen recipes that call for it to be mixed with tehina. From what I've read, the grape molasses seems to be more prevalent in Turkish cuisine, whereas the date molasses is more Iraqi. I'm also wondering if date molasses would be the same thing as date honey? (Apparently the phrase "land of milk and honey" refers to date honey.)

[Hassouni]

Grape molasses is very common in Turkish cuisine, google "pekmez" - not sure where else it's eaten. 

 

And yes, a masgouf thread would be awesome. Nice 'amba.

[Nicolai]

Very interesting. I recently bought grape molasses (haven't used it yet), I'm assuming it is used similarly to the date molasses? I have seen recipes that call for it to be mixed with tehina. From what I've read, the grape molasses seems to be more prevalent in Turkish cuisine, whereas the date molasses is more Iraqi. I'm also wondering if date molasses would be the same thing as date honey? (Apparently the phrase "land of milk and honey" refers to date honey.)

 

Molasses in the aera comes in varied forms.

 

Carob Molasses in Lebanon and Syria

 

Grape Molasses in Greece and Turkey

 

Date Molasses in Iraq and the Gulf countries incl KSA.

 

Sugar Cane Molasses (Black Treacle) in Egypt.

 

Which one you prefer is conditioned by where you were raised and if not then which is more appealing to your taste.

 

Take a common sweet which is Loqaimat or Lekmet El Kadi which is the same as the indian ones or the Dutch ones and they all are Dumplings.

 

In Lebanon and Syria they would douse them with Sugar Water or Honey. In Turkey and Greece they use Grape Molasses, In Iraq and the Gulf they douse them in Date Molasses.....and so on.

 

I like them every which way but I would not eat Dibs wa Thineh with Date Molasses only with Carob Molasses......as for Grape Molasses......Fogetaboutit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shain]

Here in Israel and Palestain region it is called sillan (sea-lan). The combination of dates and tahini is a classic one. Some suggestions:

On toasted bread with whole seed tahinni.

Whole roasted eggplant, split in half and drizzled with plenty of tahini sauce (raw tahinin, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt) and some date syrup, parsley and paprika.

Salad with bulgur, cucumber, tomato, onion. Sauced with lemon, olive oil, raw tahinni and date syrup.

Marinade for chicken, with date syrup, cumin, paprika and pepper.

In cakes, works well with nuts.

For grilled vegtables, with lemon and olive oil.

With vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

On anything with bananas (banana pudding, smoothie, banana bread)

On pancakes, with chopped toasted nuts.

[haresfur]

Date syrup is a signature staple of the Iraqi kitchen, so much so that every jar I've ever seen of it is labelled Iraqi Date Syrup, or Basra Date Syrup. It really isn't used as a replacement for sugar or honey at all. As you've surely noticed, the taste is radically different. Three very common uses for it off the top of my head:

• Mixed with tahina (or in iraqi dialect: rashi) to make a well-known sweet dip called dibis w rashi
• Drizzled atop gaymar (clotted cream made from buffalo milk, similar to the levantine 'ashta or turkish kaymak, but thicker) as a sweet breakfast item
• Mixed into plain yogurt to sweeten it

On that subject, I'm trying to devise a cocktail recipe using it....

 

I've played with it in an old fashioned. IIR it was too thick to dissolve very well so I need to try thinning it first.