Tamr Maḥshī — Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Rose Water
Soft, pitted dates filled with an almond paste perfumed with rose water and cinnamon. Sweet, concentrated, they keep well and slip into a satchel — the energy bar of the medieval Arab world.
Soft, pitted dates filled with an almond paste perfumed with rose water and cinnamon. Sweet, concentrated, they keep well and slip into a satchel — the energy bar of the medieval Arab world.
The date is a gift from God for the traveler: small, it fits in the palm, yet it carries the strength of a meal. Before taking the road — and I have taken them, from Basra to Cairo — I would split each date, remove the pit, and slip in its place a pounded almond perfumed with rose water. A handful in the satchel, and you walk until evening without weakening. Break one at dusk, and remember to thank He who made the palm.
- •Soft dates (Medjool or Deglet) — a dozen (sweet casing)
- •Almonds — a handful (filling)
- •Rose water — a few drops (fragrance)
- •Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- •Honey — a drizzle (optional) (binder)
Tamr Maḥshī — Dates Stuffed with Almonds and Rose Water
Soft, pitted dates filled with an almond paste perfumed with rose water and cinnamon. Sweet, concentrated, they keep well and slip into a satchel — the energy bar of the medieval Arab world.
Why this dish? Dates are explicitly among Alhazen's foods, as for any observant Muslim — it is with a date that one breaks the fast. Energetic and easy to transport, stuffed with almonds, they were the ideal provision for long journeys: Alhazen himself traveled from Basra to Cairo, along the roads of the Empire.
The date is a gift from God for the traveler: small, it fits in the palm, yet it carries the strength of a meal. Before taking the road — and I have taken them, from Basra to Cairo — I would split each date, remove the pit, and slip in its place a pounded almond perfumed with rose water. A handful in the satchel, and you walk until evening without weakening. Break one at dusk, and remember to thank He who made the palm.
Ingredients (period version)
- Soft dates (Medjool or Deglet) — a dozen (sweet casing)
- Almonds — a handful (filling)
- Rose water — a few drops (fragrance)
- Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- Honey — a drizzle (optional) (binder)
Ingredients
- Large Medjool dates — 12 (sweet casing)
- Almond flour — 60 g (filling)
- Rose water — 1 tsp (fragrance)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 pinch (spice)
- Honey — 1 tsp (optional) (binder for filling)
- Whole blanched almonds — 12 (optional, for the center) (crunch)
Method
- Mix almond flour with rose water, cinnamon, and optionally honey to form a pliable paste.
- Slit each date lengthwise and remove the pit without separating the two halves.
- Fill each date with a little almond paste; insert a whole almond in the center for crunch if desired.
- Gently close the date around its filling.
- Let rest 1 hour for flavors to meld. Store in an airtight container — they keep several days on a journey.
How it was made : Dates were a dietary staple and a strong religious symbol in the medieval Islamic world. Confectioners (ḥalwāniyyūn) in large cities stuffed them with almonds, nut paste, or spices, sometimes coating them with honey. Rose water and orange blossom water, distilled in abundance in the Arab world (the Arabs mastered the alembic), perfumed sweets. Easy to store and very caloric, stuffed dried fruits were the travel food of pilgrims, merchants, and travelers.
The contemporary twist : Roll the stuffed dates in pistachio crumbs and present them in rows in a small box — a "scholar's praline" gift box.
Sources : Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens (al-Warrāq's Kitāb al-Ṭabīkh) · Lilia Zaouali, Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World
Alhazen · Charactorium
