In many Muslim households in Malaysia, dates are a must-have during Ramadan as they are often the first foods consumed upon the breaking of the fast.
One of the reasons that many Malaysian Muslims have remained steadfast in keeping up with the tradition of breaking fast with dates is that a pack of dates can start from RM6, making it an affordable option for all income levels.
According to Datuk Dr Ameer Ali Mydin, the managing director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad (Mydin), most Malaysians buy dates based on pricing, purchasing power and preference, with popular dates being Deglet Noor for its affordability (about RM9 per 500 gram box) and Ajwa, which is known locally as ‘kurma Nabi’ as it was the date that Prophet Muhammad used to break fast with; as well as the more luxurious Medjool, which is valued for its large, succulent properties.
In many families, the elders of the family often teach and encourage their children to break their fast with dates, which are rich in fibre and sugar, and help boost energy levels instantly. This is also in keeping with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad who broke fast with dates and water.
“My children loved those date milkshakes. So now that they are grown up, dates always have to be on the table. I always tell them this is sunnah (the Arabic term for the Prophet Muhammad’s way of life and legal precedent) so please eat one! They even have dates with oats and milk for sahur (the meal consumed in the morning before fasting starts) every day,” he says.
Lecturer Maizatul Zolkapli, 44, meanwhile says that before the pandemic, she and her husband and their two teenage kids would go to the mosque every day without fail to pray and break their fast with dates.
“It is mainly because of the spiritual aspect of it, so I think it is important to teach children from young to have this practice. I did this with my kids and they are continuing the tradition, but of course they have their own preference in terms of the dates that they like,” she says.
School teacher Fathiyah Mohamed, 39, on the other hand says that while she herself doesn’t actually like dates, she pushes herself and her children (aged 12 and nine) to break their fast with dates to keep up with this ancient Ramadan tradition.
“I force myself and my kids to break fast with dates, because it is sunnah, so that’s what I tell my children (and myself too). So my older kids are used to breaking fast with dates now, they will feel awkward if they don’t eat at least one date for sahur and iftar,” she says.
Among young twenty-somethings, the tradition of breaking fast with dates still seems to be going strong.
“Oh yes, during Ramadan, I still break my fast with dates,” says kindergarten teacher Nurfathin Khalidah Yusof, who is 26.
READ MORE > Dates: Healthy fruits for Ramadan
Her views are echoed by communications associate Nazlin Amiruddin, 27, who says she always breaks her fast with dates and consumes it for sahur too. Most of her friends of the same age group (in their twenties) also seem to practise this, she says.
But Fathiyah says increasingly as a school teacher, she has discovered that among children in primary and secondary school, this practice is falling out of favour. In her school for instance (a government school), she has discovered that many primary-school children are not breaking their fast with dates anymore.
“I think a lot of younger people are not following this tradition. Because when I ask my pupils, most of them say they don’t normally break their fast with dates. When I ask why, they say it’s because their parents don’t eat dates.
“So I try and tell my pupils to eat at least one date when they break their fast – there is a lot of nutrition in dates and it replenishes energy levels. Maybe their parents don’t tell them the importance of eating dates, but I think we should preserve this tradition,” she says.
Fathin says this break with tradition is something she too has noticed. “I think many children don’t really like the taste of dates, so they may not be breaking their fast in the same way as the older generation,” she says.
Mum-of-three Sharifah Thuraizah meanwhile says that while she has seen people around her – including relatives and neighbours – teaching their kids to break fast with dates during Ramadan, many children are resistant to the tradition.
“I have seen kids who feel that dates are too sweet and they also don’t like the texture,” says Sharifah, whose own three kids have been taught to break fast with dates.
READ MORE > Dates: How the Covid-19 pandemic affected date consumption patterns
Perhaps in response to this declining interest in young children, many date producers have now come up with innovative offerings like chocolate-coated dates, dates stuffed with nuts and even date juice! While not pure dates in the traditional sense, these attractive options could be an ideal way for young children to be gently introduced to dates.
“Yes, now more people are converting dates into juices and also biscuits, and they are even combining chocolates with dates as a way to capture the imagination of buyers by balancing the non-nutritious part of chocolate with the nutritious elements of dates,” says Ameer.
Maizatul says these sorts of date-centric variations are the ideal way to introduce children to dates under the guise of things they actually enjoy, like chocolates.
“Not everyone likes dates – especially the younger generation – because it is an acquired taste. So these new options are a good way of promoting dates to children and encouraging them to take dates, because it is so kid-friendly that it will attract them a lot more easily,” says Maizatul.
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