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Get a peek inside this Saudi Arabian date festival

Boxes of dates are auctioned off by the tens of kilos at the Buraydah Date Festival in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 3, 2022. Tasneem Alsultan hide caption

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Tasneem Alsultan

The Picture Show

Get a peek inside this Saudi Arabian date festival

September 25, 2022 • Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top producers and exporters of dates, and dozens of varieties are sold every year at the Buraydah Date Festival.

Get a peek inside this Saudi Arabian date festival

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Dates Like Jesus Ate? Scientists Revive Ancient Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds

Methuselah, the first date palm tree grown from ancient seeds, in a photo taken in 2008. Guy Eisner hide caption

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Guy Eisner

The Salt

Dates Like Jesus Ate? Scientists Revive Ancient Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds

February 6, 2020 • Researchers in Israel have grown date palm trees from ancient seeds found at the same site as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Those trees might soon produce fruit, re-creating the taste of antiquity.

Dates Like Jesus Ate? Scientists Revive Ancient Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds

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A Love Affair With Dates, The Fruit At The Cultural Heart Of Oman

Dates are a popular food across the Middle East, but in Oman they hold a place of honor in the national culture and cuisine. Amy E. Robertson for NPR hide caption

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Amy E. Robertson for NPR

The Salt

A Love Affair With Dates, The Fruit At The Cultural Heart Of Oman

May 8, 2017 • In this country at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the nutrition-packed palm-tree treat is essential to tradition, sustenance and the economy — and has been for hundreds of years.

Moroccans Celebrate A Bountiful Year For Date Harvest

A Moroccan date harvester sorts his yield, which was well above average this year. Jeff Koehler for NPR hide caption

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Jeff Koehler for NPR

The Salt

Moroccans Celebrate A Bountiful Year For Date Harvest

January 10, 2013 • It's taken a few months for official reports to confirm what local Moroccan farmers predicted months ago: This year's date harvest was well above average. The reasons for this year's impressive haul, though, are harder to pin down.