I would have never guessed the milk came from a camel… Makes me wonder what other kind of milk chocolate you can make…yak milk? goat’s milk? mother’s milk? Eeew. Some friends just got back from a trip to Turkey and they spent a day in Doha, Qatar, bringing back these goodies which we promptly had to taste. The camel’s milk chocolate was unusual in source, but not necessarily in taste. The chocolate seemed less creamy (though I would have expected the opposite to be true) and was a little grainy. So while it was good, I’m not sure I would go out of my way to seek it out like I might other types of chocolate.
A box of assorted Bateel dates dipped in chocolate brought a big smile to my face. I once spent several weeks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the mid-1990’s, consulting for one of the many companies of a very savvy western-educated Prince, and I came across one of the earliest luxury boutiques of Bateel, a purveyor of gourmet dates, in his building that included the Four Seasons hotel. I LOVED THE BATEEL DATES. And at the time, 30 pounds lighter than I am now, devoured them with abandon. The Bateel story is an interesting one, read more about it here, as it’s quite unusual to find a home grown Saudi luxury food purveyor that elevated a local delicacy, the humble date, to a gourmet nibble.
Now Bateel sells all kinds of goodies like chocolate dipped dates, dates stuffed with nuts and dipped in chocolate, etc. They also have cafes and shops all over the place… somehow I knew then they had a good thing going then and I am glad to see them doing so well. Many thanks to M&R for the pasalubongs, you are both conspiring to keep me fatter than I would like. :)
2. PART
13 Responses
Mmmmm chocolates! :) I don’t like dates, though, so gimme some of that camel milk chocolate! :)
You should try camel’s milk :) They sell plain and flavored ones (chocolate, strawberry and saffron) in the UAE. Its creamy and yes, like the chocolate, grainy and with a salty aftertaste. Its not as heavy as regular cow’s milk and is said to be very good for digestion :)
My husband used to bring some home from Dubai (as long as you freeze it and store it well in your luggage, it will survive the 10+ hour time at the airport and in-flight)
There was a New York chef who made cheesecake out of breastmilk.Last week’s episode of bizarre food,Andrew Zimmern had camel’s milk in a family farm in San Diego.The owner said its for family consumption only because the government won’t let them sell it for public consumption.
Since we are in the topic of milk, there is a wonderful gourmet cheese factory in Malagos, Calinan, Davao City. They only use goats milk and have produced wonderful cheeses to include but not limited to a goat blue cheese. They also make their own wine and grow champagne grapes.
Marixie, I think you are referring to Malagos Farmhouse of the Puentespina family. I featured their cheeses in this 2009 post… :)
Interesting post on varieties of dates that Bateel sells. Pobre gid our tastebuds. Only dates being sold here are medjool (and right about this time of year too)
You’re welcome. Food is a source of happiness. We need to share and enjoy. So what if extra weight come with it
In Sabtang, Batanes, we saw these small palm trees which were bearing fruits. When raw, the fruits were yellow, turning to black when ripe. We tried some of the ripe ones and it tasted just like dates! they were very good. tiny nga lang..
Hello, MM and family…totally unrelated to the topic, I’m glad that you and your family are OK. I’ve read so many of your posts and feel some sort of kinship towards you and your lovely family-my apologies for being too forward..What I am trying to say is, Please stay safe. God Bless.
I’m quite curious about the taste of the chocolate with camel’s milk. Usually, when I hear the word camel, it’s the brand of cigarette in the 1980s that comes to mind. Not a fan of dates though, but I’m still keeping an open mind. =)
What a coincidence — a friend gave me a box of Bateel chocolates just last week. Her husband had brought it back from a stopover in Dubai. Not being familiar with Bateel, it was a pleasant surprise to taste the dates in them. They were heavenly!
In the middle of the landscaped plaza inside Fort Santiago in Intramuros are stately palm trees which I suspect to be dates. The trees are constantly replete with fruit, which simply fall to the ground and rot. If indeed those were date palms, I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not that the Fort administration isn’t aware of it. I think those fruits could be sold as edible souvenirs if they did turn out to be dates.
Hi. Where do I buy raw pili nuts in bulk? Also, coconut flakes? Thank you.