Date Vinegar

On Friday, I tried date vinegar for the first time. Before I moved here, I did not know that such a thing existed. Thanks to the knowledge of Iraqi refugees, we are able to make date vinegar at the Iskashitaa office. (I have also learned that they make apple vinegar in Iraq, too.)

A little over a month ago they started the process with some immature dates. They washed the dates, removed the stems and vines (which were composted) and then filled large coolers with a mixture of dates, water, and yeast. This mixture is then left in a tightly closed container for at least 45 days. The coolers have been sitting outside the office ever since mid-December, and on Friday it was time for the first taste.

During the day on Friday, several Iraqi refugees came by the office to check on the date vinegar. Everyone who was there sampled it. I was surprised at the taste; I expected it to be bitter and/or unpleasant, but it wasn't at all. It was fizzy, and it had a flavor I don't know how to describe. (I will make an effort to think of a comparison the next time I try it.)

We have since replaced the bricks on top of the coolers, and as I understand it we will be leaving them out for a while longer until the vinegar is completely done.

Here are some pictures from the day the vinegar was started. All the photos are taken from the Iskashitaa facebook page. 

Dates on the vines. 

Five containers of dates have been fermenting since December.