It is the most popular variety in the world. For its superior quality and unique honey flavor. It is traditionally called the fruit of bright light. And this for its translucent color, the softness of its appearance and the elegance of its shape.
La Tunisie est le 1er producteur de Deglet Nour dans le monde
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Tunisia has a natural potential which places it at the forefront of Europe’s suppliers of Deglet Nour.
30 thousand tonnes produced per year
The deglet nour (meaning “finger of light”) designates one of the 300 varieties of dates existing. She is said to be the “queen of dates” or a “miniature sun” and a protected Tunisian appellation. Ethymologically, the word degla comes from the Dejla which is the Arabic name for the Iraqi Tiger River, the region from which this variety was imported a few centuries ago.
This variety is particularly rich in energy intake (295 kcal per 100 grams). Fresh, it is composed of 70% water, sugars and vitamin C. It also contains mineral salts. It is mainly cultivated in Tunisia in the Jerid region as well as in Algeria and in the arid states of the southwest of the United States (California, Arizona and Texas) where the climate resembles that of North Africa.
According to the Interprofessional Group of Tunisian Fruits, Tunisia is the world’s leading exporter of Deglet nour. Average annual sales are 30,000 tonnes, of which 15,000 tonnes are sold to the European market alone. France is today the main importer from Europe and the biggest consumer of dates and in particular of this variety. The consumption is done especially during the month of Ramadan. Indeed, the prophetic tradition makes appreciate this fruit during the ritual of breaking the fast.
Natural, soft and organic
Symbol of fertility and prosperity in the Saharan and pre-Saharan areas, the date palm venerated by all religions in the Middle East, India, China, across Africa and to the distant Pacific islands, is a large tree of 15 to 20 m high. This tree cultivated by man for millennia is whose origin remains controversial flourishes wonderfully in the oases of southern Tunisia where it would have taken up residence since its introduction by the Phoenicians who, from the 3rd millennium BC, will spread date palm culture, phniciculture, throughout the Mediterranean.
Tunisian oases offer a healthy ecological system where the tree produces a very delicious and valuable fruit. These oases are located in the governorates of Tozeur, Kebili, Gabès and Gafsa. Depending on their geographic and bioclimatic location, there are the continental oases of Jérid (Tozeur and Nefta) and Nefzaoua (Kebili and Douz), the coastal oases of Gabès and the altitude oases of Gafsa.
This bioclimatic diversity of the regions of production allows the production of more than 150 varieties of dates over a period which extends from the beginning of October to the end of December.
The production is done in a natural, gentle and organic way.
The bunches are harvested in an ancestral and manual way and 90% of the national production of dates comes from protected terroir: It is the PI “Deglet Nour du Jérid” which represents 30% of the production and the PI “Deglet Nour de Nefzaoua” which represents 55%. PI dates “Deglet Nour du Jerid” has a high percentage of semi-soft dates. The dates of the PI “Deglet Nour de Nefzaoua” is a high percentage of soft dates.
After the harvest, the dates are sent to the packing stations. ISO and HACCP certified, these packaging units are equipped with physicochemical and bacteriological analysis laboratories allowing rigorous quality monitoring. All certifications are issued by competent authorities and are subject to rigorous regulations using meticulous controls to ensure an impeccable quality system.
A highly appreciated product on the world market, Tunisian dates are 60% intended for export. They are sold in more than 57 countries spread over five continents. The European markets are the most important.
The ecological “life style” concerns and involves everyone!
