Using date syrup as a healthier alternative to processed sugar is becoming more popular. The date trees that surround Six Senses Zighy Bay make easy pickings for everyone to enjoy. More than 1,100 date trees are located throughout the grounds of the resort including 12 different varieties of date.
Now you can satisfy your sweet tooth (in moderation) during the Six Senses Zighy Bay date harvest. All Six Senses resorts are guided by the principle of sourcing local and natural ingredients, and they don’t come much closer to home than the date trees on the property. Harvesting the dates means climbing up the distance of tall palms, which can grow up to 75 feet high, in sizzling summertime temperatures!
Date syrup is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking to add flavor to everything from chicken dishes to dressings and desserts. Not only is this rich and treacly nectar a versatile ingredient that can be used in many recipes, it also has antibacterial compounds and promotes digestive health.
We produce our date syrup on our property using a traditional method, which is just too good not to share with you. Try drizzling a little over your yogurt or porridge in the morning.
Here’s how we do it:
- We harvest our dates during summer, segregate them, and dry them in the sun.
- Next, we place the dates into basket (we use hand-woven baskets, but you can use any natural sack that produces a compacting effect).
- Then we stack the baskets one on top of another, creating a pyramid base, in a room heated to 50 to 60°C.
- After three or four days, the syrup naturally flows into our collecting channel.
150 kg of dates produces 4 kg of syrup.
Six Senses Zighy Bay's Date Cheesecake
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 13 ounces (375 grams) cream cheese
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup cream
- 1 each egg
- 0.7 ounces (20 grams) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons plain flour
- 3.5 ounces (100 grams) butternut snap biscuits, crushed
- 4.5 ounces (125 grams) fresh dates, chopped
- Cream, extra, to serve
Method:
- Combine the biscuit crumbs and butter in a bowl. Press mixture into the base of greased and lined 3-inch (9 cm) by 7-inch (20 cm) loaf pan. Chill.
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Beat in the egg and fold in the flour and dates.
- Pour the filling into the prepared base and bake in a moderately slow oven at 320F (160C) for 25 minutes or until just set. Cool in the oven with door ajar.
- Chill until firm.
- Combine the brown sugar, extra butter and cream in a small saucepan, stirring over a low heat for five minutes until thickened.
- Cut the cheesecake into thick slices and place on serving plates with a drizzle of sauce and cream. Serve immediately.
For more information, please call +968 2673 5555 or email reservations-zighy@sixsenses.com.