Basic Introduction to Ciping Blackened Dates
Blackened dates, also known as smoked or charred dates, are made by selecting ripe fresh dates and processing them through boiling, kiln smoking, and air-drying. Just the kiln smoking process alone requires three repetitions over six days, involving “three kiln cycles and six water treatments.” After processing, the blackened dates have a dark purple luster, fine patterns, and a special sweet and fragrant taste. According to old county records: “The county is a major producer of dates. Fresh dates are smoked with fire using a unique technique, which is particularly refined. They are sold in large quantities to southern provinces, with profits reaching hundreds of thousands of bags each year.” The product not only serves the local market but is also popular in Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asian countries and regions.
Nutritional Value
1. Blackened dates are rich in vitamins, greatly enhancing the body's immunity and showing notable therapeutic effects for diseases such as cancer of the cardia, lung cancer, and hemoptysis.
2. Blackened dates have a sweet and warm nature, capable of nourishing the liver and kidneys and moisturizing the body.
3. The most significant feature of blackened dates is…
Product Characteristics
Ciping blackened dates are made from large, round dates with thick flesh, fine texture, little juice, abundant dry matter, and deep red or purplish-red skin. They undergo processes including boiling, kiln smoking, and air-drying. Just the kiln smoking process alone requires three repetitions over six days, involving “three kiln cycles and six water treatments.” After processing, the blackened dates have a dark purple luster, fine patterns, tender and sweet flesh, a delicious taste, and the aroma of cooked dates, along with a special sweet and fragrant flavor. When split open, the flesh is fibrous and shiny, and when eaten, it is sweet and pleasant, with a unique flavor.
Historical and Folk Customs
The origin of smoked dates can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, although exact details are unavailable. According to the 1992 edition of the “Great Encyclopedia of Shandong Cuisine,” “Shandong blackened dates are mainly produced in areas like Liaocheng, Ciping, Gaotang, and Shanghe. The production of blackened dates in Liaocheng started in the fourth year of Guangxu (1881) and was once widely sold in southern China.” This statement may not be entirely accurate. According to Song Xu's book “Nourishment Department,” written in 1504 during the Ming Dynasty, there is a simple description of the smoking process for dates. However, this description is not as detailed as the account in Wang Peixun's “Memories of My Hometown” during the Qing Dynasty. The text states: “In Dongchang, smoked dates are boiled with medicine, then placed on curved mats above the ground and exposed to fire until they are dried without becoming too dry and remain soft without being too wet. Each package weighs one hundred pounds, piled up like mountains along the riverbank. After the grain ships return empty, these dates are sold to fill the ships.” From this, we can conclude that the practice of smoking dates existed at least by the mid-Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, the method evolved from steaming raw dates in a bamboo steamer and smoking them with rice hull smoke to placing the dates on curved mats above the ground and exposing them to fire. Wang Peixun's description of the smoking process remains relevant today.