‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Agency and Muscat Political Agency for the year 1883-84.’ [‎52r] (43/166)

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EESIDENCY A.ND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE 1883-84.
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" ratab " is taken, its skin is removed by the date-leaf spine; then the coarser but soft layer
of the pnlp; finally the white firm pnlp which is left round the stone is further detached and
collected in small earthen pots. The mass is rendered more palatable by adding to it a
quantity of pistachio and almonds, &c. This is considered a great delicacy.
ft Khoorma Post-kandah," the skinned date.—This can be prepared from all the good
varieties of dates, but it is generally made from the Hilali. As above, the skin of the fresh
"ratab" is removed by the date spine, the stone is pushed out by the same; the fleshy part is
gathered and packed in large earthen pots.
" Moorabba Khoorma" (date preserve).—The ripe "Kharak of Hilali," i.e., before they have
become "ratab" (soft and juicy), are taken; portions from both ends are sliced off; they are
then deeply punctured all over by the date spine and well dried in the sun. The stone is
sometimes replaced by almond or pistachio. The " Kharak" thus treated is boiled in sugar
syrup to a sufficient consistence, and forms an excellent preserve, and may be bottled and kept
for any length of time.
(c Matgoogah."—The sweet and fresh " Kharak" is broken up and dried in the sun for five
or six days. It is then pounded in a wooden mortar; the powder is put in boiling date juice
and mixed with sesame seeds and flavoured with cardamoms, cinnamon, &c. The whole mass
is then well stirred while boiling, and removed from the fire and further well mixed up, and
finally put in jars for use.
The second form in which the date fruit is cured for commercial purposes is the " Kharak
pookhta," the boiled date. It is prepared as follows
When the " Kharak " has become sweet, but before it has begun to soften, the spadix, with
its load of dates, is cut off from the palm and immersed in large copper pots of boiling water,
in which it is allowed to remain for a time, which is decided by the man engaged to do the
work. It is stated that the boiling is continued until the stone assumes a reddish colour ; when
the bunches are removed and exposed to dry in sun on mats for eight or ten days; they are
then detached from the spadix, allowed to dry further, and finally put in bags for export.
The fruit of all the varieties of the date palm can thus be converted to " Kharak-pookhtah,"
which is dry, fir m , and even hard, and does not relish so much as the " Khoorma, which is soft
and juicy. This may perhaps account for the small quantity of " Kharak" usually prepared.
At Busrah " Kharak-pookhtah " is prepared in small quantities from Baraim, Sa'Ameran,
Kabkab, jMaktoom, and Shakar. Baraim yields the best quality, and is said to be wholly
converted into Kharak, as it does not ripen beyond the " Kharak " stage ; its price being two
or three times more than that of Sa'Ameran Kharak, which is also abundant.
The best " Kharak-pookhtah " of Minab is from Hallowi in small quantity, but princi
pally from Zarak and Sayer.
AtLarandits neighbourhood a "Kharak-pookhtah" is obtained from the Sha-Khani
date. As soon as the fresh Kharak has been sufficiently boiled, it is taken out of the water, its
stone removed, and it is strung in long wreaths and hung up to dry; it is yellow and of good
taste.
From various causes a portion of the date-fruit does not attain maturity, and generally
drops off in a half-ripe state; becomes dry, skinny, with very little flesh. In this condition it is
called " Salang," |nd used as food for sheep and domestic cattle; sometimes it is boiled with
date stones and constitutes a nutritious food to the milch-cow.
The age of an off-shoot is no reliable guide for its being detached from its parent for pur
poses of a successful transplantation. An offshoot sometimes continues at the foot of its
parent several years, but under the various unfavourable circumstances of soil, supply of water,
&c., it is small and weak, and therefore unfit for transplantation; while under favouiable ciicum-
stances an offshoot, 3 or 4 years old, is vigorous and large, and does not usually, when trans
planted, fail to strike root and survive. Hence the vigour of growth and the actual size of
the young plant are taken into consideration. The average weight of the young plant most
suitable for purposes of transplantation is considered to be six pounds ; but larger weights are
preferred, as, after striking, the plant grows rapidly, and bears fruit without much trouble and
expense to the cultivator.
It is averred that sometimes offshoots which have commenced to bear fruit are carefully
detached and successfully transplanted.
The Phoenix dactylifera, or the Arabian date palm, being dioecious,—?: the male and
female flowers existing on separate plants,—the conveyance of the pollen to the female flowers
is essential to fertilisation and formation of the date fruit.