A single date palm can produce over 100 kilograms of dates in a year, and the trees can live for over a hundred years. They need very little water compared to most fruit trees and actually thrive in the fierce desert heat. People say a good date palm tree needs 'its feet in water and its head in fire' - meaning deep roots near an underground stream and full blazing sunshine.
Dates are incredibly nutritious. They are packed with natural sugars for quick energy, as well as fibre, iron, and potassium. For desert travellers who might go days without finding other food, a bag of dried dates was the perfect portable snack - it does not spoil quickly, it gives energy fast, and it weighs very little.
In Sahrawi culture, dates are the traditional food of hospitality. Visitors are offered dates and milk as a welcome greeting before anything else. At the celebration of Ramadan and other special occasions, dates are the first thing eaten at the evening meal. Their sweetness is associated with kindness and generosity.