190 DATEGROWING 



combinations, however; in the Sindh desert of India 

 onions are considered the proper accompaniment. 

 When the dates ripen, everyone hastens to eat as many 

 as he can hold ; when he is replete he eats a raw onion, 

 and is then able to start on dates again. 



In districts where locusts or grasshoppers are 

 obtainable, these insects are roasted and pounded to 

 a paste together with fresh dates. The date paste 

 known as madquqeh is also a standard article through- 

 out the orient; it is merely seeded dates pounded up 

 with sesame oil, and is commonly used as a spreading 

 for the tasteless native bread. 



These combinations are all made with uncooked 

 dates, but there are plenty of ways in which the fruit 

 can be cooked. Probably the best is a plain fry in 

 plenty of butter; the dates for this purpose should be 

 soft, and great care is needed to keep them from 

 burning; but if properly prepared they rarely fail to 

 please an American palate. Fresh dates are also 

 baked in the oven, sometimes being basted with 

 butter. They are particularly popular with American 

 missionaries in Egypt when cooked in this fashion. 

 Another standard Arab recipe is to chop up the dates 

 and boil them in milk, often with the addition of 

 chopped onions and a flour thickening. One of the 

 specialties of Baghdad cooks is fried dates and eggs, 

 particularly in the form of an omelet. A stew of 

 dates with rice and milk is considered most appropriate 

 for women at childbirth. In the Sahara dates are 

 added to meat soups and stews, but the result does 

 not commend itself to occidental tastes. The locally 

 famous " Date Sweet " of the Persian Gulf region, which 

 is made at home but never sold, consists of dates ground 

 very fine, fried in oil, mixed with flour boiled in milk. 



