Great dates?

[bsktsngrvy]

No, no THAT kind (thus my troubles with Googling this topic)--I'm looking for information on the edible kind. I'm going to Easter brunch at a foodie friend's house this Sunday, and a few days ago she mentioned a particular variety of date that she loves, so I thought these would be a nice hostess gift. It wasn't Medjool or any variety I'd ever heard of before, and of course I forgot the name. As a child, I decided that dates look like bugs, so I know next to nothing about which are the good ones. I live in Glendale and dates are everywhere, if somebody could point me in the right direction, variety wise, I'd really appreciate it. thanks

[monku]

Don't know if Costco still carries them, but I bought a 48 oz. tub of Hadley's deglet noor dates for like $5.99.

Check the price they charge at Hadley's.

http://www.hadleyfruitorchards.com/ha...

[sku]

Check the local farmers markets. If you can hit the Sunday Hollywood market before brunch (it opens at 8:00 I think), there are one or two date vendors there who have a pretty good variety.

[yinyangdi]

I used “variety Medjool dates” and “variety palm dates fruit” to search and found a couple of varieties other than Medjools:

Dayri Dates: "Monastery Date" so named because of its origin. Black color, very tender, delightfully sweet taste.

Halawi Dates: Name means "sweet," light amber color, soft texture and great flavor.

Zahidi Dates: Golden color, slightly drier date, high in fiber, not too sweet, perfect for cooking and baking recipes

http://www.medjooldates.com/sub-category.asp?CID=47
http://www.hadiklaim.com/Dates/Varieties

[bsktsngrvy]

Thank you yinyang! You are clearly the superior googler. Halawi rings a bell..I'll see if I can find 'em.

[bulavinaka]

You might try markets with Middle East, Persian or Turkish goods, as well as some of the Farmers Markets that have a broader range of vendors. The Sunday Mar Vista FM has had a dates vendor for about a month now - I know that might not do you any good for Easter though, so you might try the Saturday Santa Monica FM on Arizona if you strike out at the ethnic markets.

[bsktsngrvy]

bulavinaka, ha--the brunch is in Mar Vista on Sunday...BUT...I live in Glendale and buy a lot of my produce, olives, etc. at the Armenian markets locally, so might check them out first. I'd like to make sure the dates are wrapped nicely and all...Thanks so much everyone!