Dates carry a nasty secret with them…
We used to love dates, but now that we know this, we’re not very likely to eat them anytime soon. They carry a very gross secret with them. A Dutch TV programme researched the contents of the dates you can buy in any supermarket. The result? We’re not the only ones who really like the sweet delicacy, as it turns out…
We’re really grossed out by this.
Date palm
We use dates in all kinds of dishes and drinks like smoothies, baked goods and Moroccan tajines. The sweet fruit can be eaten both fresh and dried. Especially in the Middle East, these sweets fruits are often used in all kinds of different delicious dishes. But pay attention, because before you use dates in your food or drinks, it’s a good idea to check the insides of the fruit.
Creatures
Dates are grown in date palms with big, white bags around the bunches. The reason behind these white bags? Apparently, us humans aren’t the only ones who love these fruits. Without these bags, the fruits would be full of insects like caterpillars, beetles and other unpleasant creatures. Although the white bags keep out a lot of the creatures, it’s not possible to filter them all out: occasionally a small insect slips through.
Check
In the Middle East, people are used to carefully check the inside of each date before adding it to a dish. In the west, though, we blindly trust that the dates are completely clean and insect-free when we buy them in the supermarket. This is not very smart, and it also turns out not to be true. The TV programme checked a couple of dates, and they didn’t have to look very hard before finding something gross…
Poop residue
Among other things, they pretty quickly came across what is probably caterpillar poop residue. It might be from a different insect, but it’s definitely poop. So, it’s very important to check your date very carefully before putting it in your mouth. You might save yourself from eating something very disgusting.
Read more: This is why everyone’s freezing lemons after buying them! Frozen lemons are amazing!
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Bron: KVW | Beeld: videostill