Barhi Dates

Barhi Date is one of the local dates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This fruit is a type of tree originally from Iraq and was introduced to the Arabian Peninsula by the people of Unayzah in Qassim Province, within the Kingdom. It holds a special position whether in Iraq or the Kingdom in general.

Currently, Barhi palm trees are widespread throughout most regions of the Kingdom. They are huge trees with long fronds and sturdy trunks that produce Barhi dates. These dates are medium-sized and typically command a high price. They are short and oval in shape, tending towards spherical, and have a slightly thick texture. When ripe, Barhi dates have a characteristic apricot-yellow color, which turns amber or translucent honey-colored in the Rutab stage. The fully ripe dates tend towards a light brown hue. The Barhi palm tree is known for its prolific yield, producing about 250 kg of fruit annually from a single palm tree. The fruit takes a long time to ripen and is typically consumed when semi-ripe, fully ripe known as Rutab, or when it dries and becomes a date.

Barhi dates are among the most notable dates in the Kingdom because, in addition to being socially known, this type is subject to the guiding standards for the quality of dates in the Kingdom set by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture to facilitate national and international trade, encourage high-quality production, increase the economic return of producers and exporters, and protect the interests of consumers. Besides the sixteen date varieties in the Kingdom, Barhi dates conform to the agricultural quality standards for dates by producers, traders, importers, and exporters.

There are three main categories for Barhi dates: Excellent, first, and second. The minimum weight of one date in the excellent category is about seven g, and every seventy-one dates weigh about five hundred g. For the first category, the minimum weight of a single date is six g, and no more than eighty-three dates should weigh five hundred g. In the second category, which represents the minimum standard specifications for dates, the minimum weight of an individual date is not less than four g, and the number of dates in five hundred g is 125 items. Barhi dates are classified as monosaccharide dates, meaning that most of their sugar content is monosaccharides consisting of glucose and fructose.