DATE VARIETIES 283 



Sultani, The Sultan's Date, a variety scarce at 

 Baghdad but thought well of, ripening about the 

 middle of August. It is a soft date, long and large, 

 brown in color; usually consumed fresh, because 

 of its earliness, but packs well. Has not yet borne 

 fruit in the United States. 



Sukkar Nabat, Refined Sugar, a small, yellow 

 dry date of Baghdad, very rare but highly esteemed, 

 the Arabs comparing its taste to that of candied 

 honey. The flesh is granular, but particularly 

 melting for a dry date. 



Sukkuti, see Ibrahimi. 



Tabirzal, originally Tabirzad (Pers.), "Sugar 

 Candy," a name appropriate to its pecidiar but 

 delicious flavor of burned sugar. It is always accented 

 on the middle syllable. Unquestionably one of the 

 best varieties at Baghdad, but not common, and 

 rarely seen in the bazar. The palm has the peculiarity 

 of ripening its fruits very slowlj-; they are ripe enough 

 to eat in September, but not fully ripe until well on 

 to the first of November. It is also the only Baghdad 

 variety, say Arabs, the trunk of which ever branches. 

 The yield is moderate. 



Form broadly oblong-obovate, widest below 

 center, whence it narrows slightly to the flattened 

 base and abruptly to the broadly pointed apex. 

 Size medium, length one and one-eighth to one and 

 one-half inch, breadth seven-eighths to one and 

 one-eighth inch. Surface undulating, translucent 

 deep orange brown in color, overspread with a bluish 

 gray bloom. Skin thin and rather tender, coarsely 



