Best Dates in Ouarzazate — Gateway to the Draa Valley Palms

South and east of Ouarzazate, the desert opens into oases — the vast palm groves of the Draa Valley, said to be one of the longest palm oases in the world, and the closer oasis of Skoura with its kasbahs among the palms. This is date country, and the fruit is a cornerstone of life here: a source of food, energy, hospitality and trade across the pre-Saharan south. The varieties grown in these oases range from the plump, prized Mejhoul (Medjool) to softer, sweeter everyday dates, each with its own texture and season.

In Ouarzazate's markets and the souks of the oasis towns, dates are sold loose in great heaps, graded by variety and quality, and buying them is a tasting experience — sample across the types, compare sweetness and texture, and haggle by the kilo. Autumn is harvest time, when the palms hang heavy and the markets brim with the new crop. The finest Mejhoul command premium prices; everyday dates are cheap and abundant, sold by the sackful to local families.

Dates run through the region's cooking and hospitality. They are eaten on their own, stuffed with almond paste, blended with milk, chopped into slow tagines with lamb for a sweet-savoury depth, and always offered to guests with a glass of milk or mint tea as the first gesture of welcome across the south. A tagine sweetened with the oasis dates is a taste of the Draa on a plate.

To buy well, come in date season (autumn into winter for the fresh crop), taste across varieties before committing, and ask for the names so you learn what you like. A trip out from Ouarzazate into the Skoura oasis or down the Draa Valley, taking in the palm groves and date markets, is one of the great southern food experiences — message us on WhatsApp at wa.me/212701664704 to arrange one.