Dates: A User's Guide

Dates: A User's Guide

Author: BBC Radio 4 December 26, 2025 Duration: 41:45

Dan Saladino explores culinary cultures and world religions to find out how the date became one of the earliest, most revered, and diverse of all cultivated fruits, and also a feature of Christmas.

Some of the world's historically important date palm oases have survived in the south of Tunisia. Dan travels to the ancient cities of Gafsa and Tozeur to visit two of them and watches the date harvest underway. There he tastes Tunisia's most prized date, the Deglet Nour, which translates as 'fingers of light' because of it's amber colour and almost translucent appearance. In Tozeur he also explores Eden Palm, the site of of a museum dedicated to dates and date palm, where he hears how the date has been an important food and source of trade for thousands of years.

Featuring food historian Ivan Day, food writers Yasmin Khan, Itamar Srulovich and Nawal Nasrallah, archeobotanist Professor Dorian Fuller, and scientist Shahina Ghazanfar.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


The Food Programme from BBC Radio 4 digs into the stories behind what we eat. This podcast moves beyond recipes and restaurant reviews to explore the entire ecosystem of our meals. Each episode is a reported journey, examining the cultural, historical, economic, and personal forces that shape food production and consumption. You might hear about the surprising science of flavor, the future of farming in a changing climate, or the revival of a nearly forgotten culinary tradition. The series connects the dots between the field, the supply chain, and the dinner plate, offering a deeper understanding of the choices we make as consumers and citizens. Listen for insightful interviews with growers, chefs, scientists, and policymakers, all framed by thoughtful narration. It’s for anyone curious about the true cost and value of their food, providing context and conversation that changes how you think about your next bite. Tune in for a consistently engaging exploration of one of life’s fundamental pleasures and its complex global impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Food Programme
Podcast Episodes
From York to Dubai: The Rise of Chocolate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:02
Leyla Kazim visits York, the UK's 'chocolate city', on the centenary of Joseph Rowntree’s death, to find out how the Quaker entrepreneur pioneered both social reform and iconic chocolate brands like Smarties and Kit Kat.…
School Dinners - Past, Present and Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:47
Baroness Floella Benjamin once said “childhood lasts a lifetime” and our experiences of school dinners can shape how we eat for the rest of our lives. In this edition of The Food Programme Sheila Dillon investigates the…
Feeding the Nation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
With the Government pledging to overhaul the way food is sourced for public institutions like hospitals, schools, prisons, and army bases, Sheila Dillon explores how these changes could be implemented and why they are de…
The World's Historic Restaurants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:35
The restaurant trade is fickle and can be a "here today, gone tomorrow" business. But a very small number of restaurants seem to have been with us for ever. Dan Saladino explores the secrets of the world's oldest restaur…
Is our cheese heritage ancient history? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:35
Sheila Dillon hears the first exclusive readings from a Tudor ‘pamphlet of cheese’ that details the cheesemaking traditions of the 16th century, and reveals how cheese was seen as a nutrient-rich health food - from diges…
Darina Allen: A Life Through Food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Dan Saladino finds out how a family farm in west Cork became one of the world's most influential cookery schools. Featuring Darina and Rachel Allen, Rory O'Connell and JR Ryall. Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
Denmark's Food Revolution? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
In this second episode from Copenhagen, Sheila Dillon explores why Denmark leads the way in organic food consumption. In 2023, nearly 12% of all food bought in Denmark was organic—one of the highest levels in the world.…
When Saturday Comes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:18
Restaurant critic and lifelong Charlton Athletic fan Jimi Famurewa finds out how football clubs are upping their game when it comes to serving food for their fans. He’ll taste the world at AFC Wimbledon’s Food Village, h…
Are We Prepared? Could the UK Feed Itself in a Crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
Five years on from the first Covid lockdown Dan Saladino asks if our food supply can withstand more shock to the system? Is there resilience to face another pandemic or even war?Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.