Hello friends, I hope we are doing well now.. If not, I pray for your health and luck so you can be well soon.
This is my second post about Dates, which is actually just another fruit. The first post is this, Which Dates Should I Pick? Don't make it like a hard choice, which I have posted it about two weeks ago.
As I have said in there, in the next opportunity I would seek a premium one... I did that, a few days ago I went to Supermarket to get one, but I did not get it and they became the message I would like to convey in this post.
There they were, those were the Medjool, the premium Dates I had been looking for. As You can see the shots above, definitely it gives a feel that none buys it... Yes that time I believed none bought that, I came, looking in detail, then not buying it... Other people came and did the same.
I shared that experience in my Whatsapp and telegram groups, I got various kind of responses, some as I had expected before... I would not share all, but I resumed what were interesting in those group here.
It's ISRAELI Dates!?!?! LoL
This response was something that I had anticipated before, that's why I put that "LOL" in the heading above. I have a few friends who are die hard anti-Israel, nothing wrong with that, I respect their political and religious standing, and in some circumstances I supported them too.
However I could not agree if your standing made you unable to think clearly or refuse to be rational and ultimately ditching your common sense. It definitely and clearly written there... PRODUCT OF USA, its uncle Sam product, not imported from Israel.
Well.. in some people head they clearly engrave the logic that USA = ISRAEL. Anyway, I am not buying any Israeli Dates, because I believe the government already ban the product from entering the market. I am not supporting them too, because majority of my friends are Muslim too. However this case is not about Israel and USA, so rather than continuing useless debate, lets see some right arguments from my friends.
Reason #1 Not Fresh
This was the most logic reason from one of my friend in the group, which eventually was the same as a visitor who talking to me while we were looking at the Dates.
Most of the fruits weren't looking fresh. I believed they taste was still great, but definitely was far from top condition. Dates can be preserved for months, maybe more than a year with the right treatment, that's why even when they do not look as fresh as before, their taste could be still good.
However things are different with Medjool, which is currently the most expensive one and on hype here in Indonesia. Because it is expensive, or better we call it Premium Dates, people get very sensitive about this. Of course the more people spend, you can expect they get more demanding.
This one was actually quite good looking. Medjool can come in dark brown color or Black color, its the same. It doesn't have to be a complete black to show its a good one. All dates of course have that wrinkle surface, but when they get too dried, it becoming more exaggerated.
What color is not important but coloring is important. The dates should have consistent color and there isn't any discoloration or patches.
Simple isn't it? These two are the basic on picking dates by visual selection.
Reason #2 The Store Might Not Understand Dates
Another friend made a good feedback, she said the store was not familiar with the fruits. Well this one is a very reasonable argument because she often comes to that store frequently.
The first one is mixing the stalls. The store doesn't differ which one is premium product and which are the regular or common products. They just put the Permium Dates there and add some writings as you can see on the first pic above.
Next to those Medjool, they put these Tunisian Dates. Its a lot cheaper, the price is almost 20% of the Medjool's. My friend said that this proved the store assigned people who did not understand Dates to sell Dates because they mix those dates onto one long table/stall.
Tunisian Dates are brownish, they are not black. However this doesn't mean black Dates is better than brown Dates. Maybe thats how their staff trying to build up image, darker is better and premium... Don't Know for sure, but I know for sure their way doesn't work.
Reason #3 Online Store Killing Them
This is the real issue which makes their Dates not selling at all. People selling these Medjool through online marketplace, and these have been killing some offline store like them.
Right now the online marketplaces have them about 15-25% cheaper than that store. On certain days, we can get 10-15% more discount from vouchers. So why do people have to pay more? well, maybe they can't wait, or maybe it gives them liberty to choose or hand pick the product which online stores can't do that.... but still, overall this make the store unable to sell their product with the volume they have set.
Conclusion
I am a stingy person, so definitely I won't buy the dates there due to higher price. I ordered from an online store.
I do not care whether you stand with Israel or Palestine, its up to you. As long you believe you are on the right side, I will support you. Only God knows the truth....
However if Dates selling well or not selling at all... Don't bring that issue into the fruits world. The world still work with logic, You sell bad stuff, you sell with higher price, or you put wrong dude to lead the sale... you are doomed
that's all folk, may peace be with us
