Zahidi Date
In some regions it is considered as semidried type. Sometimes it is referred to as Ghasb. The fruit in kharak stage is yellow, light brown in rutab stage and in tamr stage it is reddish-brown or light yellow. In Iraq, it is considered a major export. The fruit is oval in shape, with a sharp tip. The shelf life is good and it is easy to transport. High sugar content made this variety suitable for alcohol and vinegar production.
The ratio of pulp to kernel is 6,45, and its kharak stage is concurrent with August but the completely ripened fruit is harvested in early September. This kind of date is grown in Borazjan, Kazeroon, Firozabad, Booshehr, Jahrom, Laar, Ahvaz, Khorramshahr, Iraq and the USA.
Mozafati Date ( Rotab )
In Iran, this is the second most important type of export date after Samaran. This type is grown in different state regions. Its place of origin is located in Bam, Iran. Mozafati Bam type is deemed as one of the best Iranian date types due to high domestic marketability.
This type is also present in Kerman province (Bam, Jiroft, Kahnouj, Shahdad, Narmashir) in Saravan, Iranshahr, Nikshahr, Hajiabad, Tabas, Khor and Biabanak of Esfahan. Mozafati is extra high quality, from dark red to black in colour. Its main domestic market is Tehran province. Within the recent years, Mozafati export has on the rise.
One of the essential problems of this type is preservation, as it quickly becomes sour and must be kept in cool place to remedy that.
Sayer Date
This type is called Samaran, Astamaran, Sambaroon in the different regions. It includes about 70-80% of palms in Khuzestan Province. This type has a high commercial value and one of the most important exports of Khuzestan Province. The most important characteristics of this type is its semidried state that increases conservation period.
Its fruit is oval in shape (sometimes vaguely rectangular) – with an average weight of 8,31 gr, semidried, of light yellow colour. When it ripens, the colour shifts to amber and reddish-brown. The skin of Samaran date is thick and relatively rough. The ratio of pulp to kernel is 6,71. The edible part of fruit is sweet and somewhat tart. The kernel doesn’t stick to the fruit. These dates normally ripen at about August 15, but completely ripened fruit is harvested in the middle of September (5th to 22nd).
Piarum Date
It is one of the most important and well-known kinds, grown in the north of Hormozgan province. This kind is present in Hassanabad Kazeroun, around Darab, Hajiabad, Kerman and Bandar Abbas. The water content of the fruit is low, so it is considered to be a dried types. It is high in serotonin, the quality is
very high, which makes it perfect for export.
Kabkaab Date
Kabkaab type is planted in date-growing regions such as Khormoj, Behbahan, Kazeroun, Jahrom and Tabas.
The Kabkaab size is very coarse. The raw khalaal (kharak) of this kind is not usable. Kabkaab dates must be thoroughly cooked and dried.
The fruit colour in kharak and rutab stages is yellow and in completely ripe stage its colour changes to dark brown. It is mostly used in rutab and date states. This fruit is oval in shape, 15 gr in weight, semi dried, light yellow, with a thick skin. The fruit pulp to kernel ratio is 9,25.
