The Ultra-Sweet Fruit You'll Always Find During Ramadan (And Why It's Symbolic)

While many people are familiar with the fasting practices during Ramadan, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of food-based rituals that exist side by side the abstention. And there are few practices more important than suhoor and iftar during Ramadan.

Suhoor, eating before sun up, requires a well-rounded diet to maintain energy during a fast, and dates are a great way to accomplish this. It's said that the Prophet Muhammad broke his fast with dates, a staple fruit of Middle Eastern diets, so the symbolism of mimicking this practice is undeniable. However, dates are also loaded with fiber and minerals, making them an excellent choice for packing in as many nutrients as possible during a fast. Plus, they have plenty of natural sugars, giving fasting Muslims the energy they need to get through a Ramadan work day.

Sunnah, the practice of following the Prophet Muhammad's teachings, is meant to guide Muslims to a healthy, happy lifestyle. While dates aren't required to break one's fast during iftar, eating after sundown, or suhoor, it is desirable. While dates play an important symbolic and nutritional role during Ramadan, they see just as much enjoyment during Eid Al-Fitr, the three-day "festival of breaking the fast" at the end of the holiday.

For non-Muslims, Eid Al-Fitr is a celebration of Muslim cooking as much as it is the end of an important holiday. While many non-Muslims see dates as a sweet snack to give them energy throughout the day, being invited to an Eid celebration shows that the fruit has so much more potential.

While you're unlikely to find no-bake snickerdoodle cookie dough balls or Wanna Date? products at an Eid meal, that doesn't mean it'll be bereft of sweets. Plenty of Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Fitr with desserts packed with dates from simple Eid biscuits, or kahk, to the sweet vermicelli milk, sevia. This is particularly true of Medjool dates, which taste almost like a fruity caramel, making them the perfect topping for any sweet treat. You're also likely to find stuffed dates in great abundance, filled with family-favorite ingredients from sweet nut pastes to honey.

Rice dishes are quite popular during Eid Al-Fitr in Muslim communities throughout the world and dates feature in them frequently. From Malabar-style pickled dates, a lovely accompaniment to biryani, to Iranian shole zard, a sweet rice dessert, the favorite dried fruit always manages to find its place. In particular, adas polo, a fruity saffron-rich rice dish, is a fantastic way to incorporate dates into rice as their sweetness complements the fried onions and spices excellently.