Friday, 5 December 2025 - 9 minutes
Naturally sweet and juicy, fresh dates - the kind we get at Christmas, are the fruit of the Date Palm, originally from the Middle East and now cultivated in California.
But what is the religious connection with Christmas? In this edition of The Dales Chef we find out.
Bruce talks about Medjool Dates - often known as the king of dates and adding them to your Christmas pudding.
We also talk about the savoury uses for dates - along with Apricots they make any middle-eastern dish.
We can't talk about dates without mentioning Sticky Toffee Pudding - it's origins not so far from here in Cumbria/Lancashire and Bruce's experience making it a long-running favourite desert at the Angel at Hetton.
Image: Freepik
A Christmas tradition, we look at the origins and used for those juicy dates
Looking forward to some alcoholic winter warmers with The Dales Chef
With the cold weather setting in a delicious hot chocolate is just the Ticket