dates

Clockwise from top left: black date as sold, red date as sold, red date with a big bite out of it, black date slipped out if its skin.

Dates are wildly popular in Egypt. Fresh dates come in red, less ripe, and black, more ripe. When red the meat of the date is like under ripe pears or granny smith apples: crispy and acidic. When black the flesh is gooey and soft like mashed bananas. The skin of a black date is papery and annoying but it's easy to pop the fruit out of the skin. The skin of a red date doesn't come off and is eaten with the flesh. Sometimes you get lucky and get one that walks the line, loose on the outside but still a bit crunchy inside.