Photo from
Orange Coast Magazine.
One of the tastiest culinary creations is the date shake which is commonly made in the date-growing region of
southern California. In February every year, Indio California, hosts the
National Date Festival with its Arabian theme. Of course the specialty of
the festival is the date shake.
Decades ago, you could find
lot of places to purchase date shakes in California. Sadly, this is not true today! But don't worry -
just make your own with the recipe below. The date shakes are filling, delicious, and full of calories! This
is a shake you eat more than you drink as the shake is very thick. According to California legend, the date shake
was invented in the 1930s by a California date farmer.
The first date palm trees in the United States
were grown from seeds planted by Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries around
1769 in the San Diego, California, area. Most of the missions were
established along the Pacific coast, where the damp coastal climate is not
suitable for producing dates. Because of the coastal climate, only a few of
these original date palms are still in existence (as landmarks only).
In 1890, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
arranged for 68 offshoots (the suckers that grow out around the base of the
tree ad produce fruit identical to that of the parent tree) to be imported
from Egypt and Algeria. According to historical records, the Arab growers
were very uncooperative and feared any competition. Supposedly the shoots
had to be smuggled out at night.
Date Shake Recipe - How To Make Date Shakes
Recipe Type:
Beverage,
Ice Cream,
Dates
Yields: 1 serving
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (approximately 5 dates) pitted California dates, coarsely chopped*
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup good-quality vanilla ice cream
Whipped Cream (optional)
* Preferably
Medjool Dates. Other dates have thicker skins and don't blend as well.
Preparation:
In a blender, process
the dates and 1/4 cup milk at high speed until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 cup
milk and vanilla ice cream; blending at low speed until well mixed.
Pour into a tall, chilled
glass, top with whipped cream, and serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving.
Variation Ideas:
Chocolate Date Shake: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons
chocolate syrup.
Chocolate Chip Shake: Substitute chocolate
chip ice cream for the vanilla ice cream.
Orange Date Shake: Substitute 1/2 cup
orange juice for 1/2 cup milk.
