Date Palm
Symbol of Global
Food Heritage Preservation Project
|
Global
Food Heritage Project
Date Palm Symbol
The
date palm an essential source of shade,
sustenance and shelter for the people's
of West Asia and North Africa throughout
history is the symbol of the Global Food
Heritage Project.
The
date palm has special significance and
is used in the rituals of three of the
world's five major religious faiths. Judaism,
Christianity and Islam all originated
and developed in these lands shaded by
date palms.
But
the date palm is not just a potent food
plant in its homeland. Date groves are
now found in all five continents. Now
a world crop, dates are grown in Australia,
Chile in South America; Mexico and the
US states of California and Arizona in
North America. Date groves flourish in
Elche, Spain in Europe. Other parts of
Asia where dates palms cultivation is
increasing include China, India and Pakistan.
The
date palm is an appropriate symbol for
this food heritage preservation project
for another reason. The ongoing strife
in Iraq is a constant threat to the ancient
date groves of that country. There is
much work to be done to preserve and return
harmony to this land of ancient Mesopotamia,
where one of the earliest forms of agriculture
began.
Single subject
Culinary arts
museums
Food origin heritage
sites
Agricultural heritage
sites 
Virtual food museums
