The Barhi date provides a varying degree of sweetness depending upon its ripeness level, ranging from fresh sugar cane to coconut and butterscotch. When semi-ripe the Barhi date has a golden yellow color and a crunchy apple-like texture with a slight sweetness and mild astringency. It will turn brownish and soft as it ripens offering a richer sugar content more developed butterscotch notes. The Barhi date is usually eaten fresh and seldom in the final dried, wrinkled stage. The Barhi or Barhee date comes from the date palm botanically classified as Phoenix dactylifera. The name Barhi is derived from Arabic meaning hot winds The Barhi palm was introduced to California in 1913 from Basra, Iraq. Due to its lower than average astringency, the Barhi date is unique in its edibility during all three stages of ripeness: semi-ripe (Khalal), fully ripe (rutab) and dried wrinkled (tamr). -
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