Delicious date-based falafel seasoning

July 23, 2009 11:14 AM

Help me find a date! Powdered dates, that is, in Seattle.

Some falafel and gyros places season their food with a coarse, reddish powder which I find delicious. I've been told (by one falafel-counter guy) that it's made from toasted, ground dates. I'd like to use it in my own cooking. So my questions are: what names does this stuff go by? And where might I be likely to buy some in or near Seattle?

posted by hattifattener to food & drink (8 comments total)

Are you sure it's not sumac?

If so, I know you can get it online from Penzeys but couldn't tell you where in Seattle to get it.
posted by cabingirl at 11:37 AM on July 23

Is it possibly Sumac?
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:39 AM on July 23

Ack, I was too slow to find a reference! It's a regular item on the table at the Persian restaurants around here.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:40 AM on July 23

Sumac sounds more likely than date powder. The best place to go is World Spice, near Pike Place Market. In the market there's also a small Middle Eastern market called The Souk (near Starbucks).
posted by O9scar at 12:24 PM on July 23

I bet you're right, I'm probably looking for sumac. Hopefully I'll have better luck finding it than my mythical date-based seasoning.
posted by hattifattener at 12:27 PM on July 23

I believe your falfel guy must have been talking about bread dates:

Dry dates, also called bread dates, are dry like pastry and crumble when chewed. They were a staple of Middle Eastern nomads because they kept so well. Thoory is a dry date variety.

I've been looking for these, too. I'll be back if I can come up with anything else.
posted by jamjam at 12:31 PM on July 23

I found a place in Arizona that sells Thoorys:

Dateland Palms Village Date Gardens
THOORY DATES
Originally from Algeria, this is a dry date with a hard flesh, and a chewy, nutty flavor.

Five pounds for $13 and a bit less than that for shipping to Seattle. I might have to buy some myself. A chance to experience a 'chewy flavor' makes them almost irresistible.
posted by jamjam at 1:15 PM on July 23

I just went to The Souk and got some sumac (or sumak, as it was spelled on the jar). That's the flavor I remembered. Thanks, all! I have some tasty food in my future. (World Spice does also carry it, fwiw.)

(The bread dates sound interesting too, but I think the date description was a mistake— the flavor I was remembering isn't very date-like, though I'd figured that the toasting/drying process must have altered the date flavor.)
posted by hattifattener at 5:14 PM on July 23